With a further 7mm of precipitation overnight the total rainfall for August is 32.2mm, exactly half the 30-year average.
Author: Eric Gilbert
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Marlborough looking north from Pewsey road
The view from Granham Hill covers west Marlborough, Marlborough College Grounds and St Peter’s Church
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Almost an inch of rain in an hour
From just before 11.00am heavy rain for the following hour totalled 21.1mm and at its height fell, for a brief period, at a rate of 80mm per hour. Although not a 24 hour period it is the wettest day since February 2014 and the wettest July day since July 2008. Over this period the temperature fell almost 2C.
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Summary for July 2014
We have experienced a quite remarkable series of eight consecutive months with above average mean temperatures. July 2014 was the sixth warmest I have recorded with a mean temperature of 1.4C above the 30-year average. The month produced many hot days in the second half, three days exceeded 28C, the hottest day being the 24th with a peak temperature of 28.8C. The hottest July occurred in 2007, which was 3.2C above the average.
The rainfall totalled 47.2mm, some 78% of the 30-year average and was the driest July for four years. The details for the extremes are 127.2mm in 2007 and a mere 10.1mm in 1999. Due to the very wet months at the beginning of the year it is still the highest rainfall total for the seven months of the year from January to July with a total of 685mm. For comparison, the seven-month total was 678 mm in 2007 and just 279mm in 1996. The wettest day was the 7th when a total of 17.6mm was recorded.
The amount of moisture that re-entered the atmosphere from the ground, plant matter and surface water was 114m leaving a deficit over rainfall of 67mm.
Solar energy was 117% compared with recent years. The maximum number of hours of direct sunshine was 13.4 that occurred on the 10th.
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Hot spell broken by torrential rain
After the hottest day of the year when the thermometer peaked at 28.8c and then today with a slightly lower 28.3C a burst of torrent rain, over a few minutes just after 1600 hours, produced 3mm of very heavy rainfall. During the following hour the temperature dropped by 8C and a strong gust of wind, the highest this month of 28mph was recorded at 1611 hours, at the height of the squall.