Category: Commentary

The thermometer on Wednesday soared to a peak of 25.9C, which was 8.8C above the average and the hottest day since August 27th. This was due to the air mass coming from Iberia brought on a light breeze from a southerly direction. The UV level was High for much of the day but briefly rose into the Very High (7.3) rating around 13.30.

The past night minimum of 7.7C was just above average.

Thursday saw a narrow weather band cross the area between 06.00 and 07.45 with broken cloud and some brightness but no rain. By 08.00 the cloud band had eased away to the east and the sun began to shine strongly from a blue sky again lifting the thermometer to 14.6C at 08.00.

Tuesday was another glorious day with 10.9 hours of sunshine and the UV level, briefly, rose into the Very High category. Most fo the day the UV love wa in the High category. As a result of the sushine and light westerly breeze the thermometer rose to a peak of 23.1C, which was 6C above the 36-year average.

Under clear skies the warmth ebbed away to a low of 5.4C on Wednesday morning being 1.6C below average.

Wednesday dawned with misty conditions initially but the sun soon got to work lifting the temperature to 8.7C at 08.00.

On Monday we saw the temperature rise well above the 36-year average (+3.7C) with a maximum of 20.8C as the strong sunshine, totalling 11.15 hours, got to work. The UV continues in the Very High range.

The ground is now beginning to hold its warmth as the minimum of 10.5C (+3.5C) overnight was well above average to give a soil reading at a depth of 5cm of 16.2C at 08.00 on Tuesday. This was the warmest night since the 6th of October.

There was total cloud cover until just before 08.00 on Tuesday when brief breaks appeared allowing the sun to burst through. As a result the thermometer rose to 13.2C at 08.00.

We have now enjoyed 15 consecutive dry days with the monthly rainfall standing at just 7.5mm whereas evaporation from the ground and plant life is the equivalent loss of 67mm of rainfall during May so no wonder the gardens are very dry and hoping for some rain on Thursday – but not too heavy!

With a total of 14.4 hours of sunshine and the wind coming from the west, a warmer direction than of late, the thermometer crept above average with a maximum of 17.9C (+0.8C). The UV level was again in the ‘Very High’ category.

The warmth continued overnight with a minimum of 8.8C being 1.8C above average and the second warmest night this month.

Hazy sunshine greeted the arrival of Monday as the high pressure continues to exert its influence with another dry day ahead, which would make it the 15th consecutive dry day in May. This is a very similar pattern to April that came to a halt with a downpour on the 17th.

With only a month or so to go before mid-summer it is not surprising to find that during the 9.2 hours of sunshine on Saturday that the UV level rose to 7.2 being just into the ‘Very High’ category at 13.33. Whilst on the subject of sunshine it is interesting to note that no day in May so far has been sunless and that we have enjoyed 145 hours of strong sunshine during the first half of the month,

The wind on Saturday was predominantly from the north west, backing into the the west late afternoon. The air from this direction is a little warmer than the recent north easterlies and combined with the sunshine raised the temperature back above average, just, for the first time in a week with a maximum of 172C (+0.1C).

The thermometer fell away overnight under clear skies, to reach a minimum of 4.4C at 05.33 Sunday mooring.

There was broken sunshine shortly after dawn but by 08.00 it was was getting stronger lifting the temperature to 11.1C at that time.