Although the breeze, gusting to 17mph, came from the northwest on Thursday, a cooler direction, the thermometer did eventually creep above average. The maximum of 17.7C was logged late in the afternoon at 17.21 being 0.6C above the average.
After the previous very wet days the ground has been saturated so now sucprise that evaporation from ground sources and plant life has increased to the equivalent loss of rainfall of over 2mm on each of the last two days.
The rainfall radar on Thursday afternoon showed a number of shower cells springing up over southern England but staying almost stationary, unlike previous day when they were driven along by a brisk breeze. Several cells occurred to the east and north of Marlborough but not overhead so a dry day was enjoyed in the garden.
The overnight minimum of 8.0C was the lowest since the 3rd but still 1.2C above he average.
Friday arrived with total cloud cover and the wind brisk and from the north-northeast producing a modest windchill. A ridge of high pressure runs northeastwards from mid Atlantic to Scandinavia producing the change in wind direction.