Category: Commentary

Sunday 30th August
The depression that visited us on Saturday brought almost continuous precipitation, with light rain or drizzle and occasional bursts of heavier rain that amounted to 18.4mm. Thankfully we did not get the intense rain as in recent thunderstorms further north that has caused flooding and damage in many places. In fact it was ideal for gardeners as it slowly sank into the ground and will have begin to rejuvenate many plants that were still living. I now have five very full water buts!

The centre of the low pressure passed almost overhead with a minimum pressure of 999.8mb logged at 15.11, the lowest barometric pressure since 4th June. As the depression headed toward the North Sea the clouds broke up and the late afternoon sunshine lifted the temperature to a maximum of 21.7C at 18.05 being almost exactly average for August. The minimum of 14.4C was 2.6C above average, logged at 06.37, due to the broken cloud that had persisted overnight.

The total of 18.4mm made it the wettest day since the 1st June (28.0mm) and took the monthly total to 38.2mm being 53% of my 43-year record.

The sun struggled to rise above the cloud banks on the eastern horizon after dawn on Sunday, but not beginning to break through until just after 07.00, that had lifted the temperature to 16.1C by 08.00. There is a significant risk of shower activity again today. As the air heats up it expands and rises, being lighter, taking with it moisture that eventually condenses as it reaches cooler air, producing precipitation of various types. A thunderstorm warning has just been issued by The Met Office for a large part of central and southern England.

The next depression is currently over Ireland and will head northwards towards Iceland but not before pushing another weather front across the country today that will produce more cloud late morning with the possibility of light precipitation just before midday.

As this latest low pressure system departs, a temporary ridge of high pressure will nudge in from the southwest that will bring a couple of dryer days and squash out any shower activity. This can be seen developing today as the barometric pressure has already risen 10mb with a reading of 1010.2mb at 08.00, Sunday.

Saturday August 29th
Friday gave us a day of variable cloud that improved in the afternoon with the highest UV light for over a week and a maximum of 23.7C, which was 2.1C above average. There were spits and spots of rain on several occasions also, in the early hours, but no significant quantity, measuring 1.8mm in total. Due to the advancing cloud from the depression it has been a mild night as the thermometer slowly dropped away to around 15C just before midnight and hovered around that temperature until a minimum of 15.1C was logged at 04.22, being 3.3C above average.

So far this month every maximum temperature has been above average, some considerably higher during the heatwave, whilst only ten nights have dropped below the August average under clear skies and calm conditions.

Saturday arrived with weak yellow light as the sun gave a sliver of brightness between a slit in the cloud at 06.30 before the advancing cloud from the depression thickened and blocked out all sunshine, probably for much of the day. The centre of the low pressure is currently over Cornwall this morning and as it traverses the UK during daylight hours will eventually end up over the North Sea. The first very light spots of sporadic rain drops were observed at 06.55, from the leading edge of the depression that by 08.00 had begin to fall a little heavier. During its travels it will push a couple of warm, weather fronts across our area that are likely to produce the wettest day this month.

The barometric pressure at 08.00 read 1005.6mb and continuing to fall away as the centre of the low pressure edges towards southern England. As it does so the breeze will swing from the southeast to south and southwest and become quite brisk in the afternoon.

The rain radar early this morning showed a large area of intense rain over the west country but by 08.40, as it passed over southern England, had begun to fragment and become much lighter having deposited significant quantities to the west of our region.

Its pall, another area of low pressure, is following in the wings, edging in over Ireland on Sunday with an associated weather front ahead of it that is likely to produce light showers in the afternoon, that might possibly be thundery.

Friday 28th August
The unsettled weather on Thursday gave us sunshine and showers with a heavy burst of thundery rain mid-morning at 10.45 that added 7.0mm to the monthly total. The strong afternoon sunshine pushed the temperature to a maximum of 25.0C at 16.12 being 3.4C above average. It was not a cold night as the variable cloud meant the minimum of 13.5C was 1.7C above average.

Friday arrived with low cloud after after dawn over the tops of the Marlborough Downs and no sunshine until around 07.00 when the sun attempted to break through weekly occasionally. It was not until just after 08.00 that longer bursts of sunshine broke through the gaps in the cloud resulting in a temperature of 14.9C at 08.00. The rain radar at 08.30 showed a scattered area of shower activity arriving over North Devon and South Wales this morning, drifting eastwards towards southern England.

Today will bring us sunshine and showers, the latter probably starting around midday, due to a weather front crossing our area. The forecast pressure charts also indicate that a weather trough, containing more disturbed air, will form over southern England that will likely increase the likelihood of shower activity this afternoon and with it an increase in the wind speed coming from a west-southwesterly direction.

The forecast pressure charts indicate that a depression will arrive from the Atlantic during Saturday that is likely going to produce much cloud and probably several hours of variable, possibly heavy rainfall. Another low pressure system in the eastern Atlantic will follow along on Sunday that will continue the unsettled conditions with showers and limited sunshine. Both these systems will have associated weather fronts that could produce a significant rainfall total, the heaviest and most sustained on Saturday, being of a more showery nature on Sunday. Temperatures over the weekend will be around average for late August. A weekend that will not be ideal for holiday makers but will be welcomed by gardeners.

The monthly rainfall total is now 18.0mm set against my 43-year average of 64.7mm.

Why is it called a blood moon?

Friday’s event is technically a deep partial lunar eclipse. Nowhere in the world will see the Moon become completely covered by the Earth’s umbra, but approximately 93% will enter the darkest part of the shadow at maximum.

The term “blood moon” refers to the reddish or copper colour that the eclipsed portion of the Moon may take on. Sunlight passing through the Earth’s atmosphere is scattered and bent towards the Moon. Shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more strongly, while more of the red light reaches the lunar surface.

Thursday 26th August
The sun was intense on Wednesday that produced a maximum of 27.5C at 16.00, being above the heatwave threshold and a significant 5.9C above my August average. The peak made it the hottest day since the 14th. The thermometer hovered around 18.8C almost all night, only dropping to 18.0C by 08.00, after the cooling rainfall. The low was a significant 6.2C above average.

The radar display during the evening indicated a large area of thundery activity moving across northern France and Brittany heading towards the UK, that arrived in the early hours. Thunder was heard at 05.25 and rain triggered the automatic rain gauge at 05.18 and ceased at 06.00. The precipitation total was 5.0mm. That was very welcome rainfall but once again the similar pattern of central England under shower conditions, not wide rain bands, being the driest as the bulk of the rain fell to the west and east of Marlborough, the rain band fragmented and thinned as it approached our area.

Thursday arrived after daybreak with thick cloud cover being the residue of cloud from the thundery shower activity as it eased northwards. The humidity as 08.00 was 94.2%, not surprisingly after the dry month and recent rain, the highest all month. As the area of cloud moves northwards there is hope that the sun will return this afternoon producing another warm day.

Low pressure systems will dominate our weather for the next few days that will by Friday and into Saturday see a complex area with several areas of low pressure running in from the west towards the UK. This will bring far more cloud with possible rainfall Friday night into Saturday.

Moving on from recent images of colourful dahlias, today I will start a new series of images, that of bees.

Blood moon: Will clouds spoil Friday’s lunar eclipse?

Author: Met Office
Wed, 26 Aug 2026

Sky-watchers across the UK will have the chance to see a striking partial lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon, during the early hours of Friday.

The eclipse will begin at 2.23am, when the Moon enters the penumbra, the lighter outer part of the Earth’s shadow. At first, the dimming will be subtle and may be difficult to notice with the naked eye.

The more obvious partial phase begins at 3.33am, as the Moon moves into the umbra, the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow. From this point, observers may see a curved shadow gradually spreading across the lunar surface.

Maximum eclipse will occur at 5.12am, when around 93% of the Moon will be immersed in the Earth’s darkest shadow. Although the partial phase continues until approximately 6.51 am, the Moon will already have set across the UK by then. In London, moonset is expected at around 6.15am, with timings varying elsewhere.

Where will viewing conditions be best?

Weather conditions are expected to be challenging for many hoping to see the eclipse.

At the beginning of the event, cloud is forecast across Cornwall and Devon, Wales, the Midlands, parts of northwest England, and most of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Patchier cloud is expected across northeast England.

Wednesday 26th August
Considerable warmth returned on Tuesday due to a very sunny morning that lifted the temperature to a peak of 25.3C at 14.37 before cloudier conditions arrive after 13.00 that resulted in reduced sunshine. The high was 3.7C above average making it the warmest day since the 17th. There was considerable cloud overnight that limited the loss of warmth into the atmosphere thus a low of 14.8C was 3.0C above average, logged at 05.56, just before sunrise in Marlborough at 06.09.

Wednesday began with muted sunshine due to a weak front and its associated cloud crossing our area during the early hours, that produced 0.6mm overnight taking the monthly rainfall total to just 6.0mm. A light shower triggered the automatic rain gauge at 00.30 and again at 01.21. A line of showers were seen developing on the radar at 07.20 over the Trowbridge area and moving northwards, just to the west of our area but no indication of other activity to the south.

The breeze today will be lighter but there is a significant change in wind direction, from east to southeast, which is likely to mean a very warm day again today as it is drawing warmth from the Continent but additionally an increase in humidity. The disturbed air could well produce thunderstorms as indicated by the warning issued by the Met Office yesterday that might arrive over southern England later today and especially tomorrow.

A complex area of low pressure systems will dominate our weather over the next few days as the centre traverses our country heading northeastwards towards the North Sea. However, the forecast pressure charts indicate that another depression will arrive front the Atlantic and be overhead on Saturday.

Deep Dive: Why thunderstorms are finally returning to the UK

Author: Met Office
Tue, 25 Aug 2026

For weeks, people across England and Wales have been asking the same question: where is the rain?
Many have also been wondering why a summer that has delivered heat and humidity has produced relatively few thunderstorms.

As we enter the final week of meteorological summer, the answer is finally changing. A significant shift in the atmosphere is underway, bringing the potential for heavy rain, thunderstorms and localised flooding across parts of the UK. While many areas have been in need of rainfall, the concern now is that some places could receive too much rain in a short period of time.

Why has this summer been so quiet for thunderstorms?

At first glance, the lack of thunderstorms this summer may seem surprising. After all, parts of the UK have experienced prolonged warm and humid conditions.

The missing ingredient has been the wider atmospheric pattern. Throughout much of June, July and August, high pressure has dominated not only at the surface but also higher up in the atmosphere. This has acted to suppress rising air and prevent thunderstorms from developing, even when temperatures and humidity were high.

At the same time, the jet stream has spent much of the summer further north than usual, leaving the UK beneath a persistent ridge of high pressure. Sinking air associated with this pattern has helped maintain settled weather and restricted storm development.

This week, that pattern is changing