Category: Commentary

Sunday was the last of the very warm and dry days that saw the thermometer steadily rise to a maximum of 26.1C at 13.49 before broken cloud limited the sunshine. This high was a significant 8.8C above my 40-year average and the warmest day since 9th September.We have now enjoyed six consecutive dry days. The overnight minimum of 11.9C that was logged at 04.04 was 4.9C above average.

Monday revealed a bright start to a new day but a predominantly cloudy sky limited the sunshine. The depression in the western approaches is slowly deepening and approaching the UK, this will increase the cloud cover as the morning progresses and likely produce rain later in the afternoon. The wind will be much stronger today, increasing towards midday, and from the south-southeast.

It was the warmest day in six months on Saturday being the last of the gloriously sunny days and warm days. The thermometer rose to a high of 23.8C at 17.00 being 6.2C above my 40-year average. The cloud built up during the early hours of Sunday so the past night was very mild with the thermometer not sinking below 11.2C, logged at 05.20 early Sunday, which was 4.2C above the average.

Sunday revealed a cloudy start to the new day being thin, high cloud but obscuring the sun.

The recent anticyclone has moved further away and been slowly filling, as a result the advance cloud of the low pressure system developing in the Atlantic has been edging our way. The centre of the depression earlier today was over Iceland, it will drift south then east over the UK in the next twenty-four hours.The barometric pressure has dropped 16mb since the peak on Wednesday. The breeze will veer from the east0southeast this morn to south then south-southwest during the afternoon.

The maximum of 23.6C at 15.40 on Friday made it the warmest day since 9th October and a significant 6.3C above my 40-year average. The UV level again peaked at the High level. Once again the wind was light with a maximum movement of just 11mph but almost calm for long periods and from the southeast.

Saturday dawned with glorious sunshine to start the day pushing the thermometer to 13.7C at 08.00 with the breeze a little stronger today and from the east or east-southeast.

The anticyclone is edging away and beginning to fill with a drop of 8mb here over the last three days as low pressure systems begin to form and edge our way from the Atlantic.

Thursday saw the thermometer rise even higher with a peak of 22.9C at 15.41 under glorious sunshine. This high was 5.3C above my 40-year average. Overnight the temperature dropped away to a minimum of 7.1C at 05.49 before the sun got work, being just 0.1C above the average.

Almost 4mm of equivalent rainfall was lost through evaporation from the ground and plant life on Thursday, the highest since 11th July. The UV value of 6.7 was at the top end of ‘High’ on my scale. The lack of wind was also notable, with minimal air movement all day and a maximum speed of just 9mph was recorded, that fell light overnight.

Friday revealed a hazy start to the day with the sun shining through variable thin cloud initially but another glorious start to a new day.

The extensive high pressure that extends from the UK over Scandinavia and into Russia will be with us for a couple of days so more of the same very welcome warm and sunny days until Sunday. The barometric pressure has eased down 4mb with a reading of 1024.4mb at 08.00

The anticyclone made itself felt on Wednesday as it was a dry day, and thanks to a light southwesterly breeze with a maximum movement of 10mph, cannot call it a gust, combined with modest sunshine in the afternoon, saw the thermometer rise to a maximum of 22.2C at 17.22. This was the warmest day since 9th October and a significant 4.9C above my 40-year average, more in line with July than early May. The low of 7.6C that occurred at 05.55 on Thursday was just 0.6C above average.

The UV level rose to a peak of 6.3 being at the top end of ‘High’ and the strongest since 27th August.

Thursday brought us welcome sunshine shortly after sunrise that saw the thermometer rise to 14.0C by 08.00 with the absence of fog, just thin mist briefly after dawn.

The high pressure system covers a large area over the UK and stretches over the Continent with its centre currently just off the coast of Kent and is forecast to hang around for a few more days.