Category: Commentary

Friday saw the thermometer rise to 24.2C being 1.5C above the 35-year average as we enjoyed 11.3 hours of strong sunshine. The past night was much cooler as the thermometer fell away to 10.9C, which was the coolest night since 6th July and 0.9C below average.

Another dry day, only one damp day this month so far, and UV again very high.

Saturday morning started glorious with blue skies and continuous sunshine, however, just before 07.25 cloud began to encroach so that by 07.40 the sun had been completely obscured.

Thursday was a cloudier day, just 6.3 hours of sunshine with the daytime temperature close to the average with a peak of 22.8C (+0.1C). The past night was similar to the obvious night with a low of 14.9C which was a significant 3.1C above average. The warmth in the ground from hotter days is not escaping into the atmosphere at night due to cloud cover acting as a duvet!

The rainfall in July still stands at 0.3mm whereas the equivalent rainfall from evaporation into the atmosphere from the ground and plant life now totals 41mm. No wonder the Rivers Og and Kennet, flowing through Marlborough, are showing a steady fall in depth.

Initially Friday began with considerable cloud but by 08.00 a few breaks were occurring allowing the thermometer to climb to 17.3C at that time.

Update on Friday at 16.45: temperature rises again to maximum of 24.2C at 16.05, which was 1.5C above average. Wind gusting to 18mph and since early morning veering from west to northwest.

On Wednesday the thermometer rose to 25.2C at 15.36, which was 2.5C above the average and the warmest day in July, equal to that on the 4th. Only two days this month (1st and 2nd) have been below average in contrast to the cool June with 19 below average days.

With a minimum of 14.8C at 04.02 overnight it was the warmest night in July.

A few drops of rain fell just before 06.00 but insufficient to be measurable or even to dampen the ground and recorded as a trace.

Thursday saw 8/8 cloud cover after dawn and the thermometer reading 16.4C at 08.00, exactly the same as at that time on Wednesday.

Even though we had less sunshine on Tuesday than on previous days, also more cloud, the maximum of 23.5C was exactly the same as on Monday being 0.8C above the 35-year average. With warm nights and the dry land, is acting as a heat reservoir.

It was another dry day, evaporation now totalling 35mm, and the UV again very high.

Following a warm day and cloudy night little warmth was lost into the atmosphere so a minimum of 14.6C was not surprising being 2.8C above average, the warmest night since 25th June and up a degree on Monday.

Wednesday arrived with considerable cloud but by 08.00 the sun was beginning to break through and the temperature had risen to 16.4C.

Update on Wednesday at 15.50: heat builds again with maximum of 25.2C at 15.36, being 2.5C above average and warmest day this month equal to that on July 4th.

With fewer hours of sunshine on Monday, the wind having backed into the southwest rather than the cooler northwest, still meant that it was another warm day with the maximum of 23.5C being 0.8C above the average.

Cloud cover overnight limited warmth from the ground radiating into space so the minimum of 13.7C at 00.35 was almost 2C above the 35-year average. This was the warmest night in July.

Monday was another dry day. The rainfall recorded over the past three weeks amounted to 8.1mm whereas the equivalent rainfall lost to the atmosphere through evaporation from ground sources and plant life far exceeded this with a total of 32mm.

Tuesday initially saw bright intervals but by 08.00 the cloud cover was 8/8 completely blocking out the sun.