Author: Eric Gilbert

The maximum of 13.8C on Thursday was equal coldest in September and a significant 5.1C below the average due to minimal sunshine and the persistent, if less strong, breeze having veered into the north.

The thermometer dropped steadily in the evening and the early hours to reach a minimum of 2.4C at 04.02 on Friday morning. The mimimm was also significantly below the 38-year average -6.9C.

After 04.02 the temperature began to slowly increase reaching 5.7C at 08.00 due to the air mass changing direction and coming from a southwesterly direction, although conditions were calm since 22.00, no movement on the high anemometer.

Thick fog was evident at dawn that limited visibility to around 150m. By 08.15 there was evidence of the sun beginning to try and burn back the fog as the thermometer began to rise further. By 08.30 the temperature had reached 7.5C.

There has been a slight rise in the barometric pressure in the last twenty-four hours, registering 1009.4mb at 08.00, but this is expected to drop during the day as the depression now to the northwest makes its presence felt.

The temperature is forecast to rise steadily but by mid-afternoon heavy rain will have set in and the wind strengthened considerably. It is likely to be the wettest and windiest day of the month.

The thermometer peaked at 15.5C on Wednesday, the highest for three days but still 3.4C below the 38-year average. The slight increase in warmth was due to much sunshine and a lighter wind but still from the cool Northwest.

The day was dry but just before 04.00 on Thursday a light shower passed over bringing 1.1mm of rainfall that lifted the monthly total to 47.8mm being 71% of the long-term average.

The thermometer dropped rapidly late evening and in the early hours of Thursday to reach 4.4C at 01.45, which was a significant 4.9C below the average thanks to clear skies and the cool air from the Northwest.

Thursday dawned dull with low cloud masking the Marlborough Downs thus no sunshine to raise the temperature significantly. The barometric pressure at 08.00 read 1001.7mb with, which was the lowest pressure since early May.

At a time when we don’t want to switch on the central heating the weather gets even cooler. The northwesterly breeze on Tuesday continued that with minimal sunshine meant another cool day with the maximum of 13.8C a significant 5.1C below the average making it the coldest day since 1st May.

There were a couple of very light showers mid-morning and around mid-day that produced 1.4mm of rainfall. The loss of rainfall through evaporation now almost equals the rainfall for September with rainfall of 46.7mm and evaporation of 46mm.

Ot has been a cold night wit the thermometer sinking to 5.1C at 02.45 early Wednesday. That low was 4.3C below the 38-year average.

Just after dawn there were brief glimpses of weak sunshine that were soon obliterated by thick cloud. The thermometer had risen slightly to 6.6C at 08.00, a cold start to the day.

The northwesterly wind increased in strength on Monday, gusting to 25mph, which was the strongest this month. As a result of the much cooler air stream the thermometer only reached 14.6C being 4.3C below the average, even though we had intermittent sunshine. Likewise overnight, the air originating near Iceland was cool as the thermometer dropped to 6.9C being 2.4C below the average.

Tuesday began with intermittent sunshine with the breeze continuing from the northwest or west-northwest, but lighter. A few spots off rain were observed just before 08.00 but did not completely wet the ground. The barometric pressure has been much lower for the past twenty-four hours due to an intense depression to the Northwest, thus the windier and cloudier conditions. The pressure at 08.00 read 1004.1mb.

Although there were several hours of sunshine on Sunday the brisk northerly breeze, gusting to 17mph, pegged back the maximum temperature to 16.4C being 2.5C below average. It was another dry day with Moderate UV level.

A cold front passed over the area in the early hours of Monday producing light rain at first briefly from 04.00 and a short heavier burst at 06.40 that amounted to 2.7mm.That addition took the monthly rainfall total to 46.3mm being 69% of the long-term average. The minimum of 10.2C at 23.00 on Sunday was the highest overnight minimum for ten days due to the coucloudld cover from the rain band.

Monday was cloudy to begin the day but as the cold front eased away to the southeast the back edge of the weather front could be clearly seen with clear skies approaching from the Northwest, from which the wind willow today.