Category: Commentary

Saturday was the warmest day for a week BUT it was still 3.2C below my 40-year average thanks to rain until around 10.30 followed by frequent showers. The maximum of 17.4C was logged at 15.37. The low of 10.3C was the highest since the 4th and just above average, only the second time this month. The depression was still close producing a southwesterly breeze, quite strong, with a maximum gust of 24mph.

The additional precipitation of 2.8mm took the monthly total to 19.6mm, just 36% of my 40-year average.

There was a little brightness at first on Sunday but cloud thickened around 08.00 limiting any sunshine. The centre of the low pressure has eased a little northwards that will bring a breeze from the west today.

With showers on and off during daylight hours and overnight it was not surprising to find that yet again the maximum of 16.9C, that occurred early on the day at 10.15, was 3.7C below my 40-year average. After a bright start cloud built up after mid-morning limiting sunshine to brief bursts. The minimum of 8.4C occurred at 05.15 early Saturday that was also below average at -1.8C.

The daily rainfall amounted to 7.9mm.

Saturday began bright after dawn with good sunshine but cloud was observed arriving from the west that began to weaken the sunshine by 06.20 and totally obscure the sun from 06.40. Rain began to fall at 06.55.

The reason for this unseasonably cool and wet weather lies at the door of the low pressure system that has been plaguing us for two days and has moved closer to us. The barometric pressure read 998.6mb at 08.00, the lowest for two months and will produce a breeze from the southwest or west-southwest.

Thursday was another of the very cool days with the first rain drops observed at 14.20 but sporadic light bursts continued until early evening with the heaviest falls between 18.30 and 19.00 that in total amounted to 3.6mm. That additional precipitation took the monthly total to 8.9mm when the 40-year average is 53.8mm

It was cool as the thermometer struggled to reach 15.7C at 13.17, which was 4.9C below my 40-year average. After that time the temperature slowly began to drift downwards to around 13C for much of the late afternoon and then dropping to a minimum of 10.7C at 05.31 early Friday. Thankfully that was the last of the very cool nights, which gardeners will appreciate. That low made it only the second above average minimum this month, after 11.7C on the 4th.

Friday initially brought us a little brightness but around 08.00 the cloud began to thicken and obscure the sun as another weather front crossed our area with the rain radar showing heavy showers over the West Country heading our way by mid-morning. A showery day is ahead.

The centre of the low is much closer with a barometric reading of 1001.3mb at 08.00, the lowest pressure this month. Sadly for the summer month of June, this depression is going to be with us for possibly three days and not until Monday is it likely to improve significantly.

Wednesday morning was another cool start to the day, once again under the influence of the Arctic air. However, shortly after midday the wind very slowly and hesitantly backed into the west, a less cool direction, also the late afternoon sunshine produced a pleasant interlude, especially as the wind also became light. The maximum of just 16.7C was logged at 16.59, just before thicker cloud drifted across from the west, this peak was 3.9C below my 40-year average.

The sky cleared overnight so a cool night followed with the thermometer sinking to a low of 3.8C at 04.49, just before sunrise. This minimum was a significant 6.8C below the average and the second coldest night this month.

The depression to the west has deepened in the past twenty-four hours and begun closing in on the UK, associated with it is a wide band of rain, at 08.00 the rain radar showed the rain crossing into Cornwall. The projection is that rain will arrive over southern England shortly after midday and could be heavy.

We have had nine consecutive nights with the minima well below average. However, the significant change in our weather will bring much warmer nights thanks to increased cloud cover and a change in the wind direction to come for the south today, not seen for two weeks.

Tuesday was a day best forgotten with a maximum 5.3C below my 40-year average, peaking at just 15.3C late in the afternoon at 16.04, this was 2C below the Monday peak. This was thanks to the lack of sunshine and the northerly air steam continuing to stream down cool air from the Arctic across the country. This was followed by yet another cool night, being even further from the average with a low of just 4.2C, which was -6C below.

Wednesday brought a little brightness first thing but cloud soon obliterated any sustained improvement.

A transitory ridge of high pressure will dictate our weather on Wednesday – but it won’t last. A deep depression to the west of the UK is moving in that will see the wind back from the north into the west after midday that will cut off the very cool air stream resulting in a slight improvement in temperature but still below average for the next day or two. The rain radar indicates that the second half of Thursday could be very wet. The barometric pressure had risen to 1022.5mb by 08.00, the highest since the 3rd.