Category: Commentary

The influence of the depression was seen and felt on Saturday as the thermometer did not quite reach the July average maximum with a peak of 22.2C (-0.4C) under cloudy skies. There was a little brightness in the afternoon but the UV level, having been very high for most of last week, was only Moderate.

There were a light showers just after 13.00 and 20.00 but the main rain fell between 21.40 and 23.00 amounting to 6.4mm bringing the total for July to 39.3mm when the average is 59.6mm.

Sunday dawned grey and dull with very low cloud and misty conditions limiting visibility to 2,000m.

There are two low-pressure stems now affecting the country with centres over northern France and the southern North Sea. These will see the wind back a few degrees into the north and continue the cloudy conditions for most of the day being so close. The pressure at 08.00 was 1007.9mb

Although we enjoyed 10.5 hours of sunshine on Friday that lifted the temperature to 25.3C, which was 2.6C above average, it was 5C or 6C below the peak of recent days. The signs were there of a dramatic change in our weather. Cloud built up late afternoon and the wind from the northeast was brisk all day with a maximum gust of 22mph, the strongest gust since the 6th (28mph). In recent days the breeze has struggled to get into single figures. We have enjoyed nine consecutive days without rain.

The barometric pressure has been dropping for two days as the anticyclone departed and a depression a approached from the south. From a peak of 1029.8mb the reading at 08.00 on Saturday was 1008.7mb, a drop of over 21mb.

Overnight was again mild with a minimum of 13.8C occurring at 07.10 on Saturday, which arrived with thick cloud and light rain. Light rain tripped the automatic rain gauge at 03.15 and again at 06.15 but only light in nature and very little in quantity, just 08.mm. The rainfall for July stands at 32.8mm whilst the loss of equivalent rainfall of 72mm has been due to evaporation from the groud and plant life.

After waking to bright sunshine in recent days it was a dramatic change on Saturday to be greeted with thick cloud and light rain also a strong, cool breeze from the northeast.

The thermometer rose to 30.1C on Thursday being 7.4C above average but 1C lower than the previous four days when 31+C was reached. It was the ninth continuously dry day.

The wind continued from the northeast but just a little stronger with a peak gust of 12mph.

The past night was a little cooler that saw the thermometer drop to 13.1C. However, this was still 1.3C above average and the coolest night since the 18th.

The centre of the anticyclone has been leaving us and is now located off the coast of Norway. This is causing the wind direction to veer into the east on Friday and freshen. The barometric pressure has been slowly falling since Thursday and currently at 08.00 read 1018.8mb, a drop of 5mb in 24 hours.

Weak sunshine initially greeted the arrival of Friday as there was variable cloud and a significant breeze from the east. The thermometer at 08.00 read 17.6C making it the coolest start to a day since the 16th.

Yet again on Wednesday the thermometer rose very high to 31.0C at 16.05. This was 8.3C above average and the fourth consecutive day with maxima at 31C or just above.

We have now enjoyed eight consecutive dry days. The rainfall total for July stands at 32.0mm whilst over 4mm of equivalent rainfall has been evaporating into the atmosphere every day for the last six days. The total evaporation from ground sources and plant life has risen to the equivalent rainfall of 64mm.

It was a very warm night with the thermometer not sinking below 14.6C, which was 2.8C above average.

Thursday arrived with radiation mist first thing but the sun shining from dawn began to dissipate the moisture rapidly so that by 07.00 it had disappeared and by 08.00 the thermometer read 21.1C.

Update at 18.00: maximum only reached 30C today rather than 31+C on four previous days

The maximum temperature for the past three days has been very similar with 31.7C, 31.4C and 31.6C on Tuesday, all last C above the 37-year average. We survived 11.60 hours of very strong sunshine, Tuesday was 11.55 hours, with the UV level not surprisingly well into the Very High level for three hours around midday.

The past night was a little cooler but still above average with a minimum of 13.6C.

Wednesday arrived as the three previous mornings with sunshine from dawn, a little weaker than Tuesday due to thin high cloud, that lifted the thermometer to 21.3C at 08.00, a degree down on Tuesday at that time.

The centre of the anticyclone is currently off the north west coast of Scotland with the pressure rising further, with a pressure of 1022.7mb at 08.00. The air movement, cannot call it wind with maximum gusts only in low single figures, has veered into the northeast as the high pressure relocates.

The hot, dry weather is causing the equivalent rainfall of almost 5mm daily to evaporate into the atmosphere from the ground and plant life.

Update at 16.15: maximum temperature of 31.0C (88F) at 13.01, just below peak of previous days. Now four consecutive days of 31C maximum or fractionally above.