Author: Eric Gilbert

Thursday 30th July
Wednesday was the second day when the heat built intensely as the day progressed, resulting in the temperature once again rising above the heatwave threshold, eventually peaking at 31.6C at 15.30, being a significant 8.6C above average. It was the fifth day this month when maximum temperatures exceeded 30C. The past night was mild that saw the thermometer drop now lower that 14.7C at 04.15, which was 2.7C above average.

The start to the new day on Thursday revealed the weather had changed significantly, as there was much variable cloud cover with the sun burning through the gaps occasionally, just before 08.00, that had lifted the temperature to 18.5C by that time. To the northwest could be observed much heavier cloud advancing towards our area with a small area of lower cloud producing a little, very brief drizzle at 07.45, however, it was transient and not measurable.

A cold front is traversing the country today, the projected surface charts indicate that it will probably pass overhead around midday that will herald a major change in our weather. As its name suggests, it will usher in behind it a cooler airstream, no longer will we struggle with excessive heat as the next few days will see maxima rise to about or just above average. The weather front is fragmenting considerably and thought not to have any precipitation for our area.

The wind will make a subtle change in direction later today, as the weather systems tussle with each other, veer a few degrees and have a more northerly component, that combined with much less sunshine will result in the reduced maximum temperatures.

The forecast charts indicate that a low pressure system might try and elbow its way towards the country come Monday, but how effective its forward movement will actually be against the large areas of high pressure to the east and north is debatable.

The Met Office defines drought as a lack of water, specifically a period with abnormally low rainfall for an extended period.

In the United Kingdom an absolute drought is currently defined “as a period of at least 15 consecutive days when there is less than 0.2 mm (0.008 inches) of rainfall”, although before the 1990s a drought was defined as “15 consecutive days with less than 0.25mm”. With no measurable rainfall since the 1st, when just 0.2mm of precipitation was recorded, we are obviously well and truly experiencing a drought.

Wednesday 29th July
The heat was intense on Tuesday and slowly built throughout the morning and into late afternoon resulting in a maximum of 29.7C at 17.09. This peak was a significant 6.8C above my long term average and in fact was 2.7C above the heatwave threshold for Wiltshire. Thankfully, the considerable warmth did slowly dissipate overnight, although at midnight the thermometer still registered 20C, but eventually fell to a minimum of 12.8C at 05.51, just after the sunrise in Marlborough at 05.26. The breeze fell out just after midnight resulting in calm conditions until just after 08.00 when the anemometer very lazily began to rotate, registering 1mph!

The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm, read daily at 08.00, has been rising again under the intense heat with 20.9C, 22.2C and 22.3C this morning respectively, over the last three days. As a matter of interest I read the temperature at 20.00 last night a it read 28.2C.

Wednesday began where Tuesday left off with strong sunshine as soon as the sun decided to rise above the horizon that had lifted the temperature to 20.2C by 08.00, making it the warmest start to a new day at that time since the heatwave, back on the 11th. The intense heat will return today with the peak rising well above the heatwave threshold but will not be an official heatwave as by tomorrow it will be a cooler day and not reach 27C, thankfully.

I had been a little confused as to why we had been getting intense heat from a breeze coming in from the southwest recently, originating in the Atlantic. I learnt last night that there has been a large pool of tropical water in the North Atlantic, to the west of the UK, that has been influencing the high temperatures and the air flow.

The Azores high will begin to elongate to the north today and tomorrow that will see the breeze come from a more westerly and northwesterly direction as it tracks around its northern flank, that will mean peak temperatures will fall below the heatwave threshold but still several degrees above the July average. The area of high pressure over eastern Europe, combined with its mate to the west, will continue to thwart weather fronts pushing down from the depression near Iceland, the front forecast tomorrow will fizzle out on its journey south.

The Savill Garden is an enclosed part of Windsor Great Park in England, created by Sir Eric Savill in the 1930s. It is managed by the Crown Estate and charges an entrance fee. The garden includes woodland, ornamental areas and a pond. The attractions include the New Zealand Garden, the Queen Elizabeth Temperate House and trees planted by members of the Royal Family. In June 2010, a new contemporary rose garden was opened by Queen Elizaberh 11.

Tuesday 28th July
The temperature began climbing higher again on Monday as the afternoon progressed reaching a peak of 25.9C at 16.39, being 3.0C above my long-term July average. The past night was exceptional in that there was little variation in temperature as the thermometer hovered around 18C for much of the night with a minimum of 17.6C at 05.36, which was a significant 5.6C above the July average and made it the warmest night of the month. This situation was due to much thick cloud that came and went during the early hours, never completely dispersing, with no prolonged clear period, thus minimising any loss of warmth into the atmosphere.

Tuesday began gloomy under cover of the continuing thick cloud with little air movement. The Azores high has continued to build back across the UK thus minimising the pressure gradient it is also keeping weather fronts at bay associated with the depression to the north.

We have a couple of hot days ahead, that is when the sun burns back the cloud this morning, with temperatures likely to exceed the heatwave threshold on Tuesday and Wednesday under a light breeze from the southwest. By Thursday and onwards temperatures will drop back a few degrees, but still be above average, as the wind veers into a more westerly direction thus cutting off the heat arriving from the Continent.

The forecast track of the jet steam indicates that is likely to become fragmented early next week thus cutting the UK off from the heat to the south with more variable, cooler weather, there is also the possibility of some precipitation as the winds arrive with a more easterly and perhaps northeasterly component.

The full moon for July appears today and tomorrow and is called the Buck moon.

Why is it called the Buck Moon?

The Buck Moon gets its name from the time of year when male deer, known as bucks, begin rapidly growing a fresh set of antlers.

The tradition of naming full moons dates back centuries, with different cultures using them to mark the changing seasons and keep track of the year.

The images for the next few days will be from the summer display at the Saville Garden

The Savill Garden

We will arrive through the new entrance, known as the Savill Building, that was built and then opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in 2006.

Set across 35 acres of beautifully designed gardens, woodland and ever changing seasonal displays, The Savill Garden is a peaceful retreat in the heart of Windsor Great Park. Commissioned by King George V and created by renowned horticulturist Eric Savill in 1932, the Garden has been inspiring nature lovers, photographers, friends and families for generations.

It first opened to paying visitors in 1953. The garden can be enjoyed throughout the seasons.

Monday 27th July
There was slight relief from the excessive heat on Sunday as the maximum of 24.6C was only 1.6C above my long-term average due to more cloud cover in the afternoon resulting in the peak being earlier at 14.41. The variable cloud meant a mild night with the minimum of 14.8C logged at 02.58, being 2.8C above average. For the second consecutive day the wind from the west was brisk with a peak gust of 21 mph at 15.07.

Monday was initially cloudy that limited the sunshine until just after 07.30 that then began to shine strongly raising the temperature to 17.8C by 08.00. The cooler westerly wind will again moderate the heat today, combined with variable cloud, that is likely to peak just above average for July.

The recent Azores high will fight back again tomorrow pushing a ridge across the country that will result in increased heat with maxima rising above the heatwave threshold again, but just for two days. It will not be an official heatwave as temperatures are expected to drop back again from Thursday. The high pressure system will then ease eastwards allowing more cloud to drift down from a depression in the north that will limit sunshine on Thursday onwards. However, a mate of the anticyclone is developing in the Atlantic and easing eastwards that will try and join forces with our old anticline that will develop to form a large area of high pressure across the UK. Under higher pressure again the breeze will begin to die down with calmer conditions arriving tomorrow.

Although a cold weather front might possibly drift down from the north on Thursday, projected by the surface pressure charts, it is unlikely to contain much moisture thus we could have another dry week.

The measurable rainfall for July still stands at 0.2mm that fell on the 1st, that with little rainfall likely during the last days of the month would make it the driest July I have recorded since the station began in 1984. The previous minimal rainfall for July was recorded in 1999 with 10.1mm. How my garden would, have appreciated even 10mm this month! My 43-year average rainfall for July is 59.4mm.

Sunday 26th July
The build up of cloud during Saturday afternoon limited the rise in temperature that resulted in a peak of 26.5C mid-afternoon at 14.38, being 3.6C above average. It has been an unusual night as normally at this time of year the minimum occurs in the early hours, just before sunrise.The advancing cold front, the first weather front for almost a month, began arriving just before midnight. This resulted in a minimum of 17.1C that was held between 23.38 and 23.51 before the thermometer began to rise again producing a temperature of 18.9C at 08.00. This was the warmest night since 26th June.

An unusual weather feature for this month occurred at around 05.45 Sunday morning when very light rain fell briefly, which was repeated at 07.20. Sadly, on both occasions the precipitation was minimal and brief, which made it not measurable being recorded as a trace. The rain radar showed small areas of thicker cloud drifting in from the west at those times, however within a few minutes the evidence had evaporated due to the very warm and dry ground. The minimal precipitation broke the run of 24 consecutive dry days.

The track of the second cloud area showed the longer and slightly heavier falls over Pewsey and even more so around Amesbury, both to the south of Marlborough, as often happens.

For two days the low pressure system to the north will be in charge of our weather resulting in two cooler days. The barometric pressure at 08.00 read 1005.0mb, which was the lowest pressure recorded all month. However, there is confidence that the anticyclone to the southwest will fight back pushing a ridge over the UK with temperatures climbing above the heatwave threshold again for at least two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, as it feeds hot air from the Continent on a southwesterly or westerly direction. The barometric pressure is already indicating that it has reached its lowest pressure, being steady at the moment, but signs that it is about to begin rising again.