Author: Eric Gilbert

With barometric pressure rising and the Jet Stream relocating further north the outlook for the next few days is drier and brighter. A dry day on the 12th and just 0.3mm of rainfall yesterday, accompanied by lighter winds which have now veered into a more northerly direction, make for a great improvement in our weather. However, clearer skies at this time of the year will likely mean cool nights.

Another 6.4mm of precipitation overnight brought the total for May to 39.4mm, 68% of the 30-year monthly average. The 9th brought much welcome direct sunshine of 7.7 hours after the dismal 8th when it was overcast for much of the day, 3.0mm of rainfall fell and no direct sunshine was recorded.
However, it is important to realise that the UV levels are still rated High during the bursts of sunshine.

Substantial showers during the last three days, including small hail on the 6th, bring the total precipitation for the first week of May to 30mm which is 52% of the 30-year average for the whole month. Although each day there have been several hours of global sunshine between the showers, the direct sunshine has been limited to around two hours.
The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm at 0800 is now consistently in double figures. During the sunnier periods I have noted that the temperature has risen to 16C or 17C.