Category: Commentary

Although there were several hours of sunshine on Monday the very brisk wind, gusting to 22mph, from the north depressed the temperature. The maximum of 15.7C that occurred late in the afternoon at 16.37, was 1.4C below the May average. However, it was a welcome dry day with the UV level reaching into the ‘High; category for the second day.

The clear sky overnight also calm without any wind meant the thermometer dropped steadily away to reach a low of 2.9C at 05.52 before the sun rose. This minimum was 3.9C below the 39-year average and the coldest night since 27th April.

The start to Tuesday was a glorious beginning with blue sky and strong sunshine in calm conditions before 07.00. By 08.00 a light breeze had sprung up, still from a northerly quadrant, but edging today towards a more westerly component. The anticyclone has edged closer to the UK, its centre just off the west coast of Ireland, will mean a more settled day with sunshine but perhaps cloud springing up as the warmth increases due to the strong sunshine. The thermometer had recovered to 10.4C at 08.00.

Because the high pressure has edged towards the UK the barometric pressure reading at 08.00 was the highest this month with a pressure of 1026.8mb.

After the rain on Sunday night the sunshine and drying wind have meant that the evaporation rate has increased. The last two days have seen the equivalent loss of 3mm or more of rainfall from ground sources and plant life.

The numerous hours of glorious sunshine on Sunday lifted the temperature to 20.7C making it the warmest day since 29th October and 3.6C above the 39-year average. As a result of the sunshine, at times a little muted thanks to thin high cloud, the UV level rose to 6.5 being classed as ‘High’.

Overnight rain amounted to 3.1mm that took the monthly total to 52.7mm, which is 88% of the May average.

The past night has been mild with the thermometer not sinking below 8.3C, which was 1.5C above the average.

Overnight the centre of the Atlantic high repositioned itself a little further south. As a consequence the wind has veered into the north and gathered in strength to become very brisk. A cooler direction again.

Monday early saw the hang back of cloud from the weather front limiting sunshine but just before 08.00 the sun began to clear the cloud and shine strongly.

The wind from the northeast continued all day on Saturday, once again depressing the daytime temperature and limiting the warmth to a maximum of 14.7C being 2.4C below the 39-year average. The low cloud hung around for much of the day and it wasn’t until just after 15.00 that the cloud began to break and much welcome sunshine began to develop. The peak temperature was logged at 17.47.

Saturday was another dry day but the thick cloud for much of the day meant a low UV level of 4.6, rated as ‘Moderate’.

The past three nights have produced similar minima, 8.0C, 8.0C and 7.9C at 06.59 last night respectively.

Sunday revealed a foggy start limiting visibility to 500m only slowly beginning to lift by 08.00. At sometime overnight the wind fell light and the upper air stream began to back into the west, which will continue on Sunday but much lighter than of late.

The wind from the north-northeast and northeast on Friday depressed the temperature and produced a wind chill. The maximum of 14.6C was 2.5C below average and outside in the strong breeze, gusting to 27mph, meant it felt at least 1C lower.

The thick cloud arrived overnight from the North Sea on the northeasterly wind, as a result the minimum of 8.0C was 1.2C above the average.

Saturday revealed the thick and total cloud cover that had rolled in from the NorthSea. The temperature at 08.00 was 8.4C, the coolest start to a day at that time since the 2nd (8.2C). The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm was 10.7C at 08.00, the lowest since the 4th (9.9C). The wind continues from the northeasterly direction due to the anticyclone still over the country with a ridge of high pressure with its centre over Northumbria. The wind circling in an anticlockwise direction means the air has traveled over the North Sea, which is cold at this time of year and also picks up moisture, hence the thick cloud cover.

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.