Author: Eric Gilbert

The thermometer rose to a maximum of 30.7C at 15.53 on Friday under the very strong sunshine. This peak was 7.8C above my 40-year average and the hottest day since 9th September 2023 (31.0C). Although it was very hot the UV level peaked at 6.7, down from 7.2 on Thursday, but both in the Very High category.

The ground retained a lot of heat overnight so a very warm night followed with the thermometer not sinking below 15.9C that occurred just after midnight at 01.30.

The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm tracks the recent hot weather with 15.8C, 17.7C, 19.2C and 20.2C respectively. Last night at 21.00 it read 24C exactly.

Low cloud and light drizzle arrived just after 05.00 Saturday and only began to clear at 06.30 amounting to 0.2mm. There was a little brightness between 08.00 and 08.20 but the cloud subsequently began to thicken again.

Later on Saturday precipitation is forecast, however, the two main forecasters vary in the amount and the of rainfall. The Met Office suggests that light rain will fall late afternoon whilst the BBC suggests thundery showers could occur. The rain radar at 09.00 showed intense rain falling over Cornwall and heading east.

The thermometer rose steadily on Thursday to reach a peak of 27.7C at 17.02 thanks to almost continuous hours of strong sunshine and a very light breeze from the south that brought the hot air. That made it the hottest day since 9th September (31.0C) and 4.9C above my 40-year average. The UV level of 7.2 was logged at 13.06, and not unexpectedly, in the Very High category. The temperature fell away to reach a low of 11.6C at 05.25 early Friday being 0.3C below the average.

Friday began with variable high cloud to the east that allowed broken sunshine at first but by 07.00 the sun had risen above it and began to shine strongly lifting the thermometer to 18.0C at 08.00.

This will be the last of the hot, dry days as the anticyclone to the east is declining and easing eastwards whilst the depression to the west is beginning to get closer. The barometric pressure has dropped 3mb since its peak on Wednesday.

Update at 11.12: temperature just reached 27.0C
12.42: temperature touched 29.0C but easing back as puffy clouds arrive
15.53: maximum of 30.7C

We have now experienced 16 consecutive days when the maximum was below my 40-year average, and Tuesday was no exception, with a high of only 20.8C at 15.34, which was 2.0C below the average. The intermittent light rain in the morning and a shower late afternoon amounted to 0.9mm taking the monthly total to 59.0mm, just 0.7mm below my 40-year average. The low of 12.6C at 04.03 early Wednesday was at least abject average at +0.7C.

First light on Wednesday revealed misty, moist conditions that only began to lift and bring brightness after 07.00 with strong sunshine breaking through just after 07.30 that lifted the temperature at 08.00 to 15.3C.

A modest area of high pressure is close by, ridging over southern England, that will bring three dry days with welcome sunshine and warmth, even heat later on Thursday and for Friday. The barometric pressure has risen 13mb since Tuesday with a reading of 1020.6mb at 08.00, which is the highest pressure this month.

Monday was a day best forgotten as it rained for almost every hour of daylight, light and broken in the morning but heavier in the late afternoon, especially at 19.49 when the rate of fall was equivalent to 55mm/hour, briefly. The daily rainfall total was 7.7mm that took the monthly total to 58.1mm, just 1.8mm below my 40-year average.

Not surprisingly, the daytime temperature was depressed with the thermometer struggling to reach a maximum of 17.4C late afternoon at 16.00 exactly, which was a significant 5.4C below my 40-year average. The thick cloud overnight once again limited any warmth escaping into the atmosphere so that the thermometer did not sink below 11.5C being just 0.4C below my average.

Tuesday brought a very pleasant start to a new day with much broken sunshine after sunrise but just before 07.00 the cloud began to build and shortly after that there was total cloud cover. This cloud cover was and is thanks to the recent depression, currently over East Anglia, that is throwing a sheet of cloud and showers over the Midlands that could arrive here as the day progresses, but minimal rainfall. The wind direction has changed again, thanks to the depression relocating, and will come from a mainly westerly or northwesterly direction later this afternoon.

Sunday was the last of the five consecutive dry days with much sunshine, however, the maximum temperature did not get above my 40-year average with a peak of 21.6C at 17.58 being 1.2C below. It has been a chilly night that saw the thermometer drop to a low of 6.7C at 04.54, which was 5.2C below average. After this time cloud began to filter across and by daybreak was almost continuous.

The temperature had risen to 10.7C by 08.00 as the cloud thickened with the humidity very high reading 98% at that time.

Monday morning saw the clouds continue to thicken ahead of a depression just off the coast of Brittany that will slowly sweep across the UK. The rain radar at 08.00 showed broken shower cloud heading our way but a very ominous, large red area of heavy rain, just crossing Cornwall and Devon, is heading our way, the rain is likely to intensify late afternoon/early evening. The wind will veer from the southeast into the south-southeast and then southwest later today as the depression crosses the UK.