Author: Eric Gilbert

Wednesday 9th September
The very wide and slow moving weather front on Tuesday produced almost twelve hours of continuous rainfall, however, it was light in nature that produced 11.2mm. There were slight pauses in between the waves and a slightly longer one at 12.00 before the tail of the rain band moved through. The cloud cleared away just after 14.00 and the sun came out, as expected, that pushed the temperature to a maximum of 17.7C at 16.10. This high, not unexpectedly due to the cloud cover, was 1.3C below average. Also as forecast was the past cool night due to the clear skies that arrived around 05.00, with the thermometer dipping back to 10.2C at 06.06 early Wednesday, just before sunrise in Marlborough at 06.32, being 0.7C above average.

Wednesday began with welcome sunshine that had eased the temperature upwards to 12.7C by 08.00. The forecast charts anticipate cloud developing around midmorning for much of the day. There are no weather fronts that would bring with them cloud crossing the country today, however, it will be a dry day ahead. I assume the cloud might be associated with the slight change in wind direction from northwest to west-northwest and then west that will bring an air stream associated with a depression to the northwest edging towards the UK. There might be a little sunshine late afternoon but that is not likely to be sufficient to lift the temperature above the September average.

I anticipate another cool night ahead as the cloud clears late afternoon, probably again dropping below the September average.

Late on Thursday the forecast charts indicate a weather front arriving that could bring a modest fall of rain overnight.

Looking further ahead, there are indications that maximum temperatures will return above average over the weekend and into the first part of next week with the breeze light and from a southwesterly quadrant as air moves around the northern boundary of a large area of high pressure centred over the Continent.

Tuesday 8th September
Monday began with a weak weather front crossing our area that produced just a few drops of rain but as the cloud began to thin mid-morning the sun came out to give us a very pleasant day. It was considerably cooler than the very warm Sunday but nevertheless, the warmth built under strong sunshine that meant the maximum of 22.7C at 12.33 was 3.7C above average. The breeze had veered from south on Sunday to west, hence a cooler air stream and no warmth wafted in from the Continent. More variable cloud early afternoon limited the rise after that time. Advancing cloud built up during the evening as the next weather front arrived, which meant a mild night with a minimum of 13.3C at 06.37 being 3.8C above average.

During the very early hours of Tuesday the cold front produced light rain that triggered the automatic rain gauge at 02.15, which by 08.00 amounted to 6.2mm. The light rain is likely to continue through the morning, probably ceasing around midday or shortly afterwards, with the possibility of the sun making an appearance mid-afternoon as the back edge of the cloud from the weather front eases away. Currently the barometric pressure is still slowly falling but as the centre of the low pressure, just off the north coast of Scotland eases away, the barometer will begin to rise again.

The rest of the week will bring us sunny periods but little in the way of rain as a ridge of high pressure follows behind the departing depression that will see the barometric pressure rise again keeping at bay any further weather fronts until possibly Thursday night. Maximum temperatures are likely to be around the average for early September but the next two nights are probably going to be cool under clearing skies.

Monday 7th September
The plume of very warm air, brought on a southerly air stream from the near Continent on Sunday, gave us a very warm day with a maximum of 26.3C at 15.58. This high was a significant 7.3C above average and made it the warmest day since 26th August. Overnight has been very mild that saw the thermometer not drop below 15.9C at 04.27, which was also well above average at +6.4C.

Monday arrived with thick cloud that is the responsibility of a cold weather front crossing the country this morning, followed quickly by a weak warm front. Both fronts will mean a cloudy day. This evening another weather front arrives, from the depression that is still sitting just off the north coast of Scotland, that is likely to produce some precipitation, at the moment we are are likely to receive light rain for most of the hours of darkness.

For the rest of the week we will be predominantly under a moist and relatively warm flow of air from the Atlantic with the wind coming from the west or southwest. By Wednesday, a minor ridge of higher pressure is likely to push across the country resulting in a day of sunny intervals.

The image was taken from St Peters Church Tower in Marlborough, looking southeast across Savernake Forest in the distance and the Wide High Street top left.

Sunday 6th September
Saturday was a very pleasant day with light winds and plentiful sunshine, that was very strong in the afternoon resulting in a maximum of 22.0C at 16.31. This high was 3.0C above my September average. The thermometer hovered around 12C for most of the night with a minimum of 11.9C at 04.50, being 1.7C above average. The flow of warm air,
plus a fragmented area of cloud, passed over our area in the early hours, moving northeastwards, that triggered the automatic rain gauge at 04.50 with just 0.2mm of precipitation. This was the reason why the temperature did not fall away significantly before dawn.

Initially the sunshine was weak on Sunday morning as it struggled to break through, and then rise above, cloud on the eastern horizon, but was shining strongly after 07.30 that had lifted the temperature to 14.5C by 08.00.

The relocation of the high pressure further east, over Central Europe, has resulted in the air stream over the past twelve hours backing from west yesterday to south and now southeast. The light breeze coming from this direction will draw warm air across the country from the near Continent that will see the thermometer rise well above average today, in fact it is likely to be a very warm day.

It will be all change from Monday as tonight and tomorrow morning a cold front will traverse the country bringing with it much cloud, which will mean sunny intervals, not sustained sunshine as today. The new week will see the depression to the north become dominant with the air stream veering back into the west or southwest bringing an air stream from the Atlantic, this will mean days with sunny intervals and maxima around the September average.

The image is from St Peter’s Church Tower looking north, taken severel years ago, before recent developments.

When does Autumn start?

Author: Met Office
Wed, 02 Sep 2026

As summer draws to a close and the first signs of changing leaves begin to appear, many people start asking the same question: when does autumn actually begin?

The answer depends on which definition you use.

While some people consider autumn to begin on 1 September, others wait until later in the month. Both approaches are correct, but they are based on different ways of defining the seasons.

Autumn: a season of transition

Autumn is the transition season between summer and winter. It is often associated with cooler temperatures, harvest time and the gradual transformation of the landscape as leaves turn shades of yellow, orange, red and brown.

Across the UK, autumn can bring a striking change in weather patterns. Warm spells are still possible, particularly during September, but temperatures generally begin to decline as the season progresses. At the same time, daylight hours shorten and the likelihood of wetter and windier weather increases.

When does meteorological autumn begin?

Meteorological autumn always begins on 1 September and ends on 30 November. This definition divides the year into four fixed seasons, each lasting three complete calendar months. Autumn therefore consists of September, October and November.

Meteorologists use this system because it aligns neatly with annual temperature cycles and makes it easier to compare weather and climate statistics between different years and seasons. Using fixed dates provides consistency when analysing long-term climate records and producing seasonal summaries.

For this reason, the Met Office and other meteorological organisations use the meteorological definition when discussing seasonal weather and climate.

Saturday 5th September
Friday was a damp and dismal day under perpetual cloud cover that limited the rise in temperature to a maximum of 18.6C mid-afternoon, being just 0.4C below average. Clearer skies overnight resulted in a minimum of 10.1C at 05.11, which was 0.6C above average.

Saturday arrived with weak sunshine as it struggled to break through, and then above, cloud on the eastern horizon, which limited the rise in temperature to 12.8C by 08.00, by which time the sun was shining strongly.The barometric pressure is now high, and still rising slowly, with a reading at 08.00 of 1023.4mb, the highest for a couple of weeks.

Today we will be predominantly under the control of the anticyclone that currently is centred just off the coast of Brittany, which will give us a fine day with average temperatures. As the centre of the high pressure edges away to the east, the breeze, which will be light, will later today back into the southwest and by early tomorrow morning come from the southeast. The air flow from this direction will have originated from the near Continent and will therefore waft much warmer air across the country on Sunday that is likely not only to be a fine day but a very warm day.

The start of next week will see the influence of the anticyclone wane as we come under the control of an Atlantic depression approaching the UK with more unsettled weather, sunshine and showers, from several weather fronts.

The image was taken from St Peter’s Church tower looking across the buildings of Marlborough College with the college chapel central in the background.