Category: Commentary

Friday brought much welcome rain with a total of 13.0mm making it the wettest day for three months since the deluge on 24th May (31.9mm).

It was a much cloudier day but we did enjoy 5.3 hours of sunshine that raised the thermometer to a peak of 19.8C being the coolest day this month and the first below average day this month (-1C).

With clearing skies overnight the thermometer plummeted to a minimum of 4.7C at 05.41 making it the coolest night since 21st May.

Saturday saw the sun up bright and early that lifted the temperature to 12.5C at 08.00, the coolest start to the day at this time since 22nd May.

Update at 17.30: sunshine during morning lifted maximum to only 19.2C being 1.5C below average at 11.30 before cloud drifted across. Drizzle followed by light rain commenced at 15.10.

The west to northwest Maritime wind from the Atlantic that prevailed on Thursday meant much more cloud, less sunshine and cooler temperatures by day.

The sunshine total was the lowest this month with just 1.34 hours and the maximum of 21.1C, although 0.4C above average, was the coolest day this month.

It was another dry day. The rainfall this month still stands at 0.8mm with the loss of moisture due to evaporation from ground sources and plant life totalling 34mm. The daily evaporation over the last two days has fallen from 4-5mm/day earlier this month to 2-3mm/day as a result of lower temperatures and the less dry Atlantic air.

The UV yesterday dropped from the frequent days at Very High to High.

The clearing skies during yesterday evening and overnight meant a cool night as the thermometer fell to a minimum of 10.1C at 06.06 the morning, being 1.4C below average.

Friday arrived with sunshine that soon became intermittent by 08.00 as thickening cloud from the next weather front and a small trough of low pressure crosses the area.

Update at 10.06: light rain started at 09.50 with heavy rain shortly afterwards. The first substantial rain for weeks.

Update at 12.15: two hours of steady rain have produced 12.0mm of very welcome precipitation, which at this time today make it the wettest day since 25th May. Sunshine now breaking through.

Update at 15.45: further brief shower at 13.00 adding another 1mm of rainfall

The heat wave is definitely over. The maximum on Wednesday was 21.7C, although 1C above average it was the coolest day since the end of July.

With much cloud during the day there was greatly reduced sunshine, just 2.4 hours, also there were three very brief showers that only amounted to 0.8mm.

Cloud overnight meant a mild night with a minimum 12.6C being 1.1C above average.

Interesting comparisons for August: day maximum 29.3C, yesterday 21.7C
night minimum 9.2C, last night 12.6C
rainfall 0.8mm but evaporation 31mm

Update at 18.15: maximum temperature down again with a peak of 21.1C at 15.51 but still above the average of 20.7C. Late afternoon sunshine breaking through providing a pleasant evening.

Tuesday saw sunshine hours down to 9.3 and maximum temperature down again to 26.6C, which was still almost 6C above average.

Variable cloud built up in the afternoon on the periphery of a storm band that passed to the east of this area, thus reducing sunshine hours and a lower maximum temperature.

Overnight the thermometer fell to 9.9C, which was 1.5C below average.

Wednesday dawned with cloud and no sunshine. The first day that the sun has not greeted us at dawn for several weeks.

Latest: strong sunshine eventually breaks through at 08.48!

Update at 14.15: the heatwave has gone as the maximum today was 21.7C at 13.07, being just 1C above the August average.

Update at 18.15: very brief shower at 18.04.

Monday was again a great summer day with another 14 hours of strong sunshine and the thermometer, late in the afternoon, peaking at 28,6C, being 8C above average.

It was also a very calm day with the strongest gust of wind just 10mph.

Overnight the highest of my two anemometers was again tied up with gossamer threads and needed freeing this morning as the wind had dropped out completely for several hours.

The thermometer fell to its lowest at 06.06 the morning with a reading of 12.4C being 1C above the 34-year average.

Tuesday arrived with the first signs of a change in our weather as thin, high, variable cloud partially obscured the sun after dawn. This was the advance sign of a weather front, weakening as it crosses the country. Strong sunshine started the recorded half an hour later than yesterday and was intermittent.

The thermometer had recovered to 17.7C at 08.00.

Update at 13.40: I suspect temperature of 25.7C recorded at 12.39 will be maximum today with cloud increasing as storms are currently crossing the channel reaching southern coastal areas and moving northward.

Update at 16.20: maximum temperature of 26.5C at 16.03 as the line of storms, having crossed the coast, initially moving northwards, then began to track northeastward, as has so often happened in the past, finally dissipating. As a consequence the cloud began to thin again allowing stronger sunshine to return lifting the temperature.