Author: Eric Gilbert

Thursday saw the temperatures lower again, by day and night. The maximum reached was 14.7C, still 0.7C above the average but almost a 10C drop from the peak earlier in the week.

It was a dry day with the UV level rising to 5.2, which was classed as ‘high’. it was also the windiest day since the 15th with a peak gust of 26mph.

A cool night was to follow with the thermometer falling to 4.2C at 03.17 in the early hours of Friday.

Friday saw mist draping the Marlborough Downs and Savernake Forest limiting the visibility to 1,000m initially. However, by 08.00 the sun was doing its best to break though lifting the mist and temperature to 8.3C.

Update on Friday at 18.50: another cool and breezy day with the maximum of 14.8C occurring early in the day at 11.48 being 0.8C above average. The wind strength rose to a peak of 23mph as a rain squall passed through at 12.17 with a heavy shower mid-afternoon.

Wednesday started off well with the thermometer rising to 16.1C at 11.06, which was 2.1C above average but thereafter the temperature fell away to hover between 11C and 12C throughout the rest of the day. The thermometer fell as the heavy showers arrived at 11.14 producing 4.1mm with a couple of minor showers overnight adding another 0.8mm bringing the daily total to 4.9mm. This brief wet spell broke the fourteen consecutive days without measurable rainfall.

It was a much windier day with a peak gust of 22mph, the strongest gust since the 15th.

Overnight the thermometer fell away to a minimum of 7.4C a 02.08 in the early hours of Thursday.

By daybreak on Thursday there were breaks in the cloud allowing very brief glimpses of weak sunshine with the thermometer having recovered to 9.8C at 08.00.

With little sunshine and a cooler day, Tuesday saw the beginning of the change in our recent weather pattern. The thermometer registered a maximum of 21.8C, although 7.8C above average it was 2.1C down on the peak of 23.9C on Monday.

Cloud thickened late afternoon with a few spots of rain falling between 18.30 ad 19.00. This was but not measurable hence registered as a ‘trace’ in the record.

The thick cloud meant another mild night with a minimum of 10.0C at 06.30 this morning, Wednesday, which saw glimpses of brightness between minimal breaks in the cloud.

The barometric pressure is at its lowest for almost two months with a current reading of 990.7mb. This is due to the recent Scandinavian ‘high’ receding and low-pressure systems moving in from the Atlantic that were previously blocked by the ‘high’.

Update on Wednesday at 18.05: temperature rose slowly to an early maximum of 16.1C at 11.06 but then fell away to between 10C and 11C for the rest of the day. Heavy rain started to fall at 11.16 amounting to 4.1mm.

The thermometer rose higher again on Monday peaking at 23.9C, which was 10C above the 35-year average. This was thanks to the breeze coming from the south east, a change from the recent days of northeasters, bringing more very warm air from central Europe.

There followed a very mild night with a minimum of 10.1C, which was 6C above average and the warmest day since 3rd December.

A sky dominated with thin high cloud welcomed in Tuesday morning giving weak sunshine.

The equivalent rainfall lost through evaporation from plant life and ground sources now stands at 50.34mm for this month, being 18mm above the April rainfall.

Update on Tuesday at 19.55: temperature maximum of 21.8C down 2C on peak this month as weather pattern changes and rain spots observed between 18.30 and 19.00, but not measurable

Sunday saw the UV level rose to a peak 5.3, which was in the ‘high’ category, last reached on the 12th September. The numerous hours of strong sunshine meant another very warm day with the thermometer reaching a maximum of 23.6C, which was 9.6C above average and the warmest day since 3rd September.

The night following was not quite so cold as previous nights with the thermometer falling no lower than 5.1C at 05.52 Monday morning, which was 1C above average.

The air movement on Sunday morning, after a calm night, was from the north east. However, just after 14.00 I noticed the anemometer veering quite quickly into the south west.

Monday arrived with hazy sunshine as the result of thin high cloud due to a change in the weather as the barometric pressure has fallen away significantly, now reading 1007.2mb at 08.00 after a high of 1031.1mb on the 20th.