Author: Eric Gilbert

Wednesday brought 4.1 hours of sunshine with two minor showers totalling 1.0mm, which brought the monthly total to 39.9mm.

The temperature again rose to 13.4C being 3C above the average, exactly as the peak on Tuesday. It was another relatively mild night with a minimum of 3.4C (+1.1C).

The UV level rose to 3.1 classed as a ‘Moderate’ level, the first time since 8th October.

Thursday arrived with clear skies but a brief shower arrived 07.50 that soon cleared and strong sunshine returned with a moderate breeze, now from the southwest.

Update on Thursday at 11.00: heavy, lengthy showers of hail at 10.30 and 11.00, about 2mm in diameter, classed as ‘small’ hail. The temperature dropped from 6.1C to 3.8C with wind chill making it feel more like 2.9C.

Although the sunshine recorder was not triggered on Tuesday the flow of warm, moist air from near the Azores meant the thermometer rose to a maximum of 13.4C, which was 3C above the 36-year average and the warmest day since 26th October. However, it was a gloomy, miserable day with frequent drizzle for most for the day with intermittent very light rain that only totalled 1.7mm.

It was a breezy day with a maximum gust of 37mph.

A mild night followed with the thermometer not falling below 6.2C, which was almost 4C above the average.

Wednesday saw a little brightness after dawn between the intermittent breaks in the cloud but stronger sunshine after 08.00 as the cloud thinned.

After a sunny start on Monday, with 4.8 hours of sunshine, advancing cloud from the next weather front drifted in with the first rain drops noted at 14.10.

The wind initially came from the west then backed into the south when the thermometer began to steadily rise to a maximum of 10.9C at 08.00 on Tuesday. This was the result of warm, moist air being brought up from the Azores and made the warmest start to a day since 1st November.

A second pulse of rain arrived in the evening so that by 08.00 on Tuesday rain had been almost continuous for 17 hours producing 15.6mm of precipitation.

Tuesday arrived with thick cloud draping the Marlborough Downs and Savernake Forest with continuous light rain or drizzle.

Update on Tuesday at 18.30: warmest day in almost five months as the thermometer rose to a maximum of 13.4C. Wind gust of 37mph recorded at 14.39.

Sunday improved as the morning progressed with 5.5 hours of sunshine until late morning when shower clouds built up producing 1.9mm of precipitation.

The UV level is lowly increasing with a level of 2.0 on Sunday in the bright sunshine that lifted the temperature to a maximum of 11.3C (+0.9C on the average) at 10.59 before the clouds rolled in.

Overnight was mild with a minimum of 4.8C being 2.5C above the average.

Monday arrived with welcome sunshine as the sun rose above the horizon lifting the temperature to 6.2C at 08.00.

Update on Monday at 16.45: after sunny morning rain set in 14.20 so another cool day with below average maximum of 9.7C(-0.7C)

Although there was minimal sunshine on Saturday, just 1.9 hours, the air mass from the south meant a warmer day and night. The thermometer rose to a maximum of 12.4C at 12.45 and then fell slowly to a minimum of 7.8 just before dawn. Both of these extremes were above average (+2.0C) and (+2.5C) respectively and each the hugest this month.

The wind from the south was modest during daylight hours but began to increase during the evening as the rain band approached and reached a peak of 37mph at 02.06 Sunday morning.

The rain in the past twenty-four hours triggered the automatic rain gauge just after 01.30 on Sunday morning producing 5.0mm in the 5inch Meteorological Office standard copper rain gauge.

Sunday at dawn saw broken could easing away to the east from the recent weather front followed by much strong sunshine.