Category: Commentary

The change in weather from the hot, continental air to the maritime westerlies was pronounced yesterday as the maximum of 22.2C, although 2.5C above the average for June, was a dramatic drop of 10C on the previous day. The humidity, having dropped to a minimum during the daytime on Wednesday to just 45% gave a minimum of 64% yesterday. Both changes made a dramatic change to the feel of the weather.

Overnight the minimum of 12.1C was registered at 03.46, which was a drop of 2.5C over the previous very warm night but still 2.4C above the average minimum for June. A much better night for sleeping.

This morning dawned with intermittent sunshine, the thermometer having recovered to 16.0C at 08.00, with the breeze freshening giving a gust of 22mph just before 08.00, the strongest gust for a week.

Yesterday:
Maximum of 30.8C (11C above average) – down 0.6C from Monday.
Minimum of 15.9C (6C above average) – up 1.2C from Monday.
Strong sunshine of 7.52 hours – down 4 hours from Monday
UV level of 7.9 – down from 8.3. Still ‘Very High’ level

Today:
Soil temperature at a depth of 5cm at 08.00 was 23.6C – up 0.5C from Monday
Temperature at 08.00 was 18.8C – down 0.8C

Ten consecutive days without rainfall
Rainfall for month – 30mm, evaporation from ground sources and plant life – 71mm
Strong sunshine total for month – 112.5 hours

This morning has dawned with broken cloud and intermittent sunshine. The breeze from the east has strengthened from the calm mornings of late.

Latest at 16.40: record from Monday convincingly broken as thermometer inches to 32.2C (90F) at 16.32.

The record for the hottest June day since this weather station was established in 1984, was set on June 30th 1995. But ….. no more!

Monday was a record-breaking day as the thermometer soared steadily from dawn until a peak was reached at 16.05 with a reading of 31.0C. But this was not the end of the extreme heat.

The high of 31.0C was maintained for an hour until just after 5pm when the thermometer inched even higher to a maximum of 31.4C at 17.25 breaking the previous record by 0.5C.

The sunshine was very strong (>100watts/sq.m.) throughout the day, triggering the sun recorder into action from 05.40. The total hours of strong sunshine amounted to 11.47, the second highest total this month after 14.72 hours were logged on the June 17th.

Just before 6pm a few cumulous clouds bubbled up. Cumulus from the Latin for ‘heap’ or ‘pile’. These intermittently dimmed the sunshine allowing the thermometer to slowly fall.

The temperature was reluctant to drop overnight but reached a minimum of 14.7C just after dawn, which is 5C above the June average. This morning there is variable cloud with weak sunshine attempting to break through. At 08.00 the thermometer had risen to 19.6C.

Latest at 20.00: maximum today of 30.8C so the record high of 31.4C yesterday stands.

Yesterday:
Maximum of 30.3C at 14.45 – which was 10.6C above the average and the hottest day since 19th June 2005 and within 0.8C of the record set on 30 June 1995
Maximum wind gust of only 9mph – calmest day for two months
Strong sunshine of 4.99 hours – much less than the previous day (14.72 hours) as although we had many hours of sunshine it was often limited in strength by high cloud

Today:
Minimum of 14.1C at 05.11 – which was 4.4C above the average and the warmest night since 17th May
Temperature at 08.00 was 23.3C – which was the warmest at this time of day since 1st July 2015 as the sun was strong soon after it rose above the horizon in a clear sky
Humidity of 75% at 08.00 – driest air since 30th April 2017
Soil temperature at a depth of 5cm was 23.5C at 08.00

With the intense heat and eight consecutive days without rainfall the evaporation from ground sources and plant life is from 4 to 5cm a day (Maximum 5.25mm on 17th) of equivalent rainfall. The total evaporation this month so far is 61mm being twice the rainfall for the whole month.

Latest at 17.30: 34 year record broken for the hottest June day with a maximum of 31.4C at 17.25.

Yesterday:
Maximum of 28.6C – highest since 19th July 2016 and 9C above June average
Highest solar energy since 8th June 2013
Highest evaporation of 5.25mm since 19th July 2016
UV level of 8.8 again at ‘Very High’.
Strong sunshine of 14.72 hours – highest since 19th July 2016
Today:
Minimum of 12.1C – which was 2.4C above June average.
Warmest morning at 08.00 of 18.9C warmest since 19th July 2016

Although the solar energy was a three year record, very thin high cloud meant that the peak solar radiation was the lowest for three weeks but the wall to wall sunshine gave the very high solar generation total.

The wind was very light yesterday, maximum gust being just 12mph with still conditions since midnight.

This morning started with strong sunshine but thin high cloud drifted across before 7am.

Latest at 16.00: Maximum today, sunday, 30.3C, which is 10c above average for June