Author: Eric Gilbert

Saturday was a pleasantly warm early autumn day with 6.35 hours of sunshine that lifted the temperature above the average with a maximum of 20.2C (+1.4C) at 14.37.

Late afternoon the wind backed from the southwest into the south as the early effects of ex tropical storm Helene approached the country.

Not surprisingly, as a southerly breeze set in bringing a warm night, the thermometer did not drop below 12.8C, being 3.5C above average.

The barometric pressure has been dropping over the past 24 hours as storm Helene moves closer to the western approaches.

This month we have received just 6.7mm of rainfall when the Carolinas in America received our average rainfall of 61.9mm in two days.

Sunday update at 16.15: brisk southerly wind, gusting to 22mph, lifts temperature again to maximum of 21.4C at 15.54, being 2.8C above average.

Sunshine was much reduced on Friday after the Tuesday high, with 2.83 hours making a total of 64 hours of strong sunshine this month so far.

The temperature was well below average for much of the day as cloud built up and two brief showers passed through producing just 0.9mm that brings the total for September to 6.7mm. The maximum of 16.8C was 1.8C below average occurring late in the afternoon at 17.51 as we enjoyed a sunny evening.

A moist and mild night followed with a minimum of 10.3C (+1.0C).

Fog formed in the Og valley around dawn and also could be seen to the north from the Thames Valley that had dissipated by 07.30.

The sun was up at dawn lifting the thermometer to 11.7C at 08.00.

Saturday update at 20.15: south westerly breeze and over 6 hours of sunshine take the temperature back above average again with maximum of 20.2C (+1.6C) at 14.37. Another dry day.

The 8.6 hours of strong sunshine on Thursday, the second sunniest day since the 7th (9.5 hours), raised the temperature after the previous cool day to a maximum of 18.8C, which was just 0.2C above the average.

It was another dry day, the tenth this month, with the UV level this month slowly reducing, now classed as Moderate.

Initially the thermometer fell rapidly late evening to a minimum of 6.7C at 00.49 this morning but encroaching cloud halted the fall so that by the time readings were taken at 08.00 the thermometer had risen to 10.9C.

Friday arrived with thin high cloud currently blocking out any chance of sunshine but hints of brightness.

Friday update at 18.00: sunshine of almost 3 hours lifts temperature late in the afternoon at 17.51 to maximum of 16.8C being 1.8C below average. Two brief showers amounting to 1mm.

Wednesday saw the effects of the northerly breeze as the maximum was only 14.6C, being almost 8C down on the previous day and 4C below the September average. There was minimal sunshine, just 24 minutes. It was another dry day, the ninth this month.

Clear skies meant that the thermometer tumbled overnight to a minimum of 1.7C at 06.57 this morning, being a significant 7.3C below average making it the coldest night since 30th April. There was variable fog from dawn often down to 100m at times.

Strong sunshine occurred as the fog thinned and cleared by 08.30.

Thursday update at 16.45: the wind, having backed from the north into the west, has meant a warmer day with a maximum of 18.8C at 15.38, being just above average. Currently over 8 hours of strong sunshine making it the second sunniest day this month.

Tuesday saw the thermometer rise to a maximum of 22.2C at 14.20, which was 3.6C above the 34-year September average.

However, early afternoon the wind began to veer from the southwest into the west that saw the temperature begin to fall steadily for 18 hours. This was compounded by the wind backing again, then into the north, after midnight.

There was light rain and drizzle for much of the evening and another burst just before 4am, amounting to 3.5mm, the wettest day since 26th August.

By 06.56 the thermometer had reached it’s lowest point with a reading of 10.5C, which was 1.2C above average.

Wednesday arrived with the back edge of the first weather front easing away to the east with skies beginning to brighten, before second front traverses the area mid-morning.

Wednesday update at 16.20: maximum temperature of 14.6C at 14.25 down significant 8C on the Tuesday peak due to cloud from dual weather fronts and northerly breeze.