Category: Commentary

With 5.6 hours of sunshine on Sunday it was the third sunniest day this month and as a result the thermometer slowly rose to a maximum of 21.8C,now back above average again (+3.2C).

Another dry day so that although we have had a little rain amount to 2.3mm this month the equivalent rainfall lost through evaporation is 21mm.

A mild night followed with the thermometer not falling below 12.1C, also above average (+2.8C).

Monday arrived with thick cloud but by the time readings were taken at 08.00 there were small breaks in the cloud allowing the occasional bright interval.

Monday update at 18.00: another dry and sunny day from mid-morning lifted the temperature above the average again with a peak of 20.8C (+2.2C).

Although we only had 26 minutes of sunshine on Saturday compared to the 9.5 hours on Friday, the temperature was up a degree due to the wind backing from the west into the southwest, which brought a warmer air mass from mid Atlantic.

The thermometer slowly edged upwards to a maximum of 18.9C at 15.42 during a brief brighter spell, which was 0.3C above the 34-year September average.

During the evening there were a couple of very light showers that amounted to 0.4mm bringing the total for September to just 2.3mm when evaporation is currently running at 19mm.

Due to the milder air and a mainly cloudy night the thermometer did not fall below 14.2C, which made it the warmest morning for over two weeks.

Sunday arrived with broken cloud and a little brightness.

Update at 16.15: sun returns, which lifts temperature to maximum of 21.8C at 15.09 being 3.2C above average for September.

Friday brought us 9.53 hours of sunshine that made it the sunniest day since 6th August. However, the brisk westerly winds, gusting 19mph, pegged back the temperatures.

The maximum reached on Friday was 17.8C, the first below average day this month (-0.8C).

Just after 5.30am this morning a brief very light shower was noted that was not sufficient to measure and therefore recorded as a trace.

The minimum overnight temperature was 7.8C, again below average (-1.5C).

Saturday arrived with overcast skies and no sunshine, the temperature having recovered to 11.6C at 08.00.

Update at 19.30: what a difference a day makes with just 26 minutes of sunshine today after more than 9 hours on Friday although the temperature eased up a degree to a maximum of 18.9C, just above average.

Thursday produced 4.4 hours of sunshine in the morning before increasing cloud from the next weather front obscured the sky.

The peak temperature of 19.2C was reached at 13.42 as the thin cloud, arriving from the west, continued to thicken, being 0.6C above average.

By 16.50 drizzle had started to fall followed by light rain that amounted to 1.6mm.

The sky cleared during the evening resulting in another cold night with a minimum of 5.9C, which was 3.4C below average, at 06.43.

Update at 16.00: sunniest day for two weeks, currently almost 7 hours, that lifted temperature to a maximum of 17.8C. This was almost 1C below average.

Update at 18.45: sunniest day since 6th August with 9.53 hours.

Wednesday brought us another 5.3 hours of strong sunshine that gave us a lovely meteorological autumn day with a maximum of 19.2C, being 0.6C above average. However, the brisk northerly breeze pegged back the temperature making it the coolest day this month. The northerly wind did not originate from the Arctic but much further south thus having much less cooling effect on the temperature.

A cold night followed that meant the thermometer fell steadily to a minimum of 5.6C at 06.28, just six minutes before the red globe of the sun appeared above the horizon and reversed the trend.

Thursday arrived with blue sky and sunshine from dawn that by 08.00 had lifted the temperature to 9.6C.