Author: Eric Gilbert

The real rain started just after 09.00 and continued until just after 15.00 bringing 10.6mm of very welcome rain, especially for gardeners. This was the wettest day since 6th April (11.6mm). The monthly total now stands at 13.8mm when the 38-year average is 60.7mm.

The loss of equivalent rainfall through evaporation from ground sources and plant life was a major factor in the the dry April. So far this month we have lost the equivalent of 25mm of rainfall, which is almost twice the rainfall for May to date.

Due to the many wet and cloudy hours on Wednesday the maximum temperature was subdued with a peak of 15.6C in the early evening at 18.22, during strong sunshine, being 1.9C below average.

The past night was cooler than of late with the thermometer sinking to 7.0C at 05.35, just above average.

Thursday dawned with welcome sunshine again that lifted the temperature to 12.8C at 08.00 at which time the barometric pressure had recovered to 1019.2mb as the depression eased away eastwards.

The rainfall of 1.8mm during Tuesday morning was the heaviest since 6th April and took the monthly total to 3.2mm. By contrast, the dry and sunny days this month have seen the equivalent loss of rainfall totalling 25mm through evaporation from ground sources and plant life. The last four days have seen equivalent rainfall of 3mm lost each day.

Although down over 2C on the very warm day on Monday the thermometer did get well above average (+1.7C) with a maximum of 19.2C.

The UV level rose to 7.0, which is rated at Very High, last recorded on 16th August.

There followed another very mild night as the temperature did not fall below 11.1C being 4.7C above the average.

The first spots of rain from the approaching weather front were observed just after 06.00 on Wednesday, from low cloud. A wide rain band will traverse the area during the day but its current predicted tract is mostly to the north of the area. However, there is more consistent rain forecast after midday, which if it arrives, will be very welcome by gardeners who have very dry gardens.

The temperature at 08.00 had risen very little from its overnight low reading 11.4C with the barometric pressure at its lowest all month with pressure of 1009.6mb.

Update at 16.15: Very welcome rainfall of 10.6mm today making it the wettest day since 6th April.

The thermometer soared to 21.9C on Monday in brisk winds from the southwest and 11.8 hors of global sunshine. This peak was 4.4C above the average and the warmest day since 26th September.

The dry, sunny day produced a UV level of 6.7, which was in the High category and the strongest since 17th August.

The past night has been exceptionally mild with the thermometer not sinking below 12.2C, which was 5.8C above the average.

Tuesday early morning produced just a few spots of rain at 06.00 ahead of the cold front about to cross the area. By 07.40 waves of drizzle reached us and by 08.00 the cold front had arrived producing light rain that had almost petered out by 08.25.

The depression approaching the Northwest meant the barometric pressure dropped almost 10mb in the past-twenty-four hours with a reading of 1015.1mb at 0800, the lowest since 25th April.

During the many hours of sunshine on sunday the temperature rose to 19.9C, which was exactly the same as on Saturday and 2.4C above the average.

Another dry day with the UV level again rising to ‘High’.

The past night was unexpectedly cool, as the thermometer dropped to 4.5C at 05.49 on monday being 1.9C below the average.

Monday dated well with early strong sunshine that lifted the temperature to 10.9C at 08.00.

The barometric pressure is beginning to fall as a depression approaches the north of the UK, down 5mb on Sunday.

The numerous hours of sunshine on Saturday raised the thermometer to 19.9C being 2.4C above the average as the ridge of high pressure continued to build.

It was another dry day with the UV level rated as ‘High’.

Overnight brought a minimum of 8.5C being 2.1C above the average.

Sunday initially brought muted sunshine through thin high cloud but after 08.00 it became stronger through broken cloud. The temperature at 08.00 was 11.6C, the warmest start to a day at since 28th October. The presser reading at that time was 1029.5mb, the highest this month.