Author: Eric Gilbert

We have enjoyed a glorious few days, with the thermometer peaking at 26.5C on Thursday, which beat the record set on 23rd April 2011 by 0.4C. Friday was a little cooler with a maximum of 22.4C being 8C above the long-term average. It was a good time to slip away for a short break!

Overnight the thermometer slowly fell away to a minimum of 8.3C just after 5am.

Saturday has dawned with the sun rising over the horizon and the promise of more strong sunshine. The high pressure has been slowly ebbing away, after the peak reading of 1026.3mb on Wednesday, indicating a change in the weather ahead.

What a transformation a ridge of high pressure makes? Saturday was the warmest day since 24th October with a maximum of 17.6C, some 3.1C above the 34-year average.

There were 9.56 hours of sunshine and the highest UV level, of 4.4, since 14th September.

Friday produced another gloomy and misty day although there was a little brighter interlude mid-afternoon that lifted the temperature to 11.7C, the highest for almost a week and 4C warmer than Thursday but still 2.3C below the April average.

It was a dry day and as the barometric pressure began to rise, gave promise of better weather ahead.

Saturday morning has dawned with thick fog giving visibility down to 100m. However, with the barometer giving a reading of 1016mb at 08.00, the highest for two weeks, better weather is ahead.

Saturday update at 18.00: warmest day since 24th October with maximum of 17.6C, being 3.6C above average and highest UV level since 14th September.

Thursday was another dull, murky, damp and dismal day. The light was very poor with little solar energy percolating through the thick cloud and naturally minimal UV.

It was a cool, moist day with the high only 7.8C, which was more than 6C below the April average. Overnight, the thermometer fell little due to the thick cloud, to a minimum of 5.8C, which was 2C above the average.

Friday has dawned where Thursday left off – dull, murky with thick cloud covering the Marlborough Downs giving misty conditions and restricted visibility. Over the last few hours the wind has dropped out completely giving still conditions.

Friday update at 14.30: a little warmth and brightness for half an hour lifted the temperature to 11.4C, the warmest for almost a week BUT still 3C below average. Also the humidity has fallen significantly lower than the past four days. Change in the weather due to change in wind direction, now from the west.

Wednesday was another murky day with low cloud all day limiting UV to typical levels for March, not April. Although no rain was recorded, the air was moist for most of the day with low cloud covering the Marlborough Downs and giving very misty conditions.

The thermometer dropped a degree during daylight hours, being mostly around 7C, which was 7C below the average and dropped a further degree overnight to give a minimum of 6.2C, which was 2C above the average. Both maximum and minimum were 2C below the Tuesday figures.

Thursday has dawned with fog, visibility was down to 200mm initially, but by 08.00 had lifted to 1,500m. The humidity has increased so that at 08.00 the reading was 99%, a level not seen since the beginning of January and not often recorded.

Thursday update at 10.30: visibility down to 500m. Cold with current temperature of only 6.6C when average is 14C and wind chill makes it feel like 5C.

Thursday update at 17.30: maximum temperature of only 7.8C (average is 14C) with low cloud and mist all day. Visibility around 900m during daylight hours.