Category: Commentary

Saturday was the last of the very warm days with the thermometer peaking at 18.7C at 14.04 being 4.2C above my 40-year average. However, two cold fronts passed over our area mid-afternoon that brought much thicker cloud also very light, brief drizzle and the temperature dropped 4C as the wind veered into the west. A low of 6.2C at 06.29 early Sunday was 2.5C above average.

Sunday revealed a bright start under thin cloud cover.

We are currently squeezed between the old depression, now centred over Iceland, and a large anticyclone in the western Atlantic that will continue the breeze, light today, from the west. The temperature is likely to fall further on Monday as the wind veers further into the west-northwest and build significantly in speed.

We have now had three consecutive dry days, not enjoyed sinece the beginning of March.

A peak of 19.4C at 14.48 on Friday made it the warmest day this month also since 19th October being a significant 5.4C above my 40-year average. It was the second consecutive dry day and the UV level peaked again at 5.2 being mid-way into the ‘High’ level.

A low overnight of 9.6C was also well above average being +5.9C.

Saturday dawned with a cloudy sky but just after 08.00 brief breaks appeared in the cloud cover allowing strong bursts of sunshine to strike through that lifted the temperature to 10.9C at 08.00.

The very large area of high-pressure that has been positioned over the Continent for the past few days is beginning to move away and slowly fill, as a consequence the barometric pressure has been falling slowly this past twenty-four hours, down 7mb since its peak on Thursday. We are slowly coming under a depression to the northwest that will see the wind veer into the west later on Saturday, a cooler direction, which will mean the next few days will be a few degrees cooler than recently, closer to the average.

The warmth of recent days has slowly warmed the soil. The temperature of the ground at a depth of 5cm read 11.4C at 08.00,a rise of 5C since Wednesday.

The thermometer soared to 19.1C at 14.21 on Thursday producing a lovely warm, bright day being 5C above my 40-year average. The clearer overnight skies produced a chilly night with a low of 7.9C just after dawn at 06.36, which was 4.2C above the average.

It was a dry day with the UV level peaking at 5.2, which was mid-point in the ‘High’ category.

The anticyclone centred over France, is producing the ridge of high pressure over the UK. The barometric pressure at 08.00 read 1029.6mb, the highest pressure since the 2nd of February (1031.4mb). As a result Friday initially dawned with muted sunshine thanks to thin cloud over the eastern horizon but shortly before 08.00 gained in strength as it rose above the cloud, that had lifted the thermometer to 9.6C at 08.00. The high pressure looks as if it will stay around for a day or two so dry days will be welcome in drying out the ground as well as lifting the soil temperature, which at 08.00 at a depth of 5cm read 10.6C.

The anticyclone will decline late Friday and early Saturday as a depression to the north takes control of our weather. As a result the wind is likely to veer into the west with the temperature dropping a few degrees on Sunday.

The thermometer continued to rise slowly and continuously all day and night from Wednesday into Thursday morning from a low of 6.2C to 12.1C at 08.00 Thursday. So the maximum from Wednesday occurred 08.00 Thursday and the low for Wednesday occurred at 08.00 Wednesday.

Light rain fell between 1230 and 1630 amounting to 3.0mm that took the monthly total to 38.8mm compared to my 40-year average of 57.1mm.

Thursday arrived dull but quiet as another weather front straddled our area. However, the ridge of high pressure, with a reading of 1028.5mb at 08.00, will produce a mainly dry day with minimal sunshine thanks to the slow moving weather front. The southwesterly air movement is likely to be light compared to recent days and continue to bring very mild air from well down in the Atlantic, that will see the thermometer probably rise another 3C as Thursday progresses.

A maximum of 11.6C on Tuesday meant it was the coldest day since 28th March being 2.5C below my 40-year average. An additional 1.5mm of rainfall took the monthly total to 35.8mm being 63% of my 40-year average.

The transient ridge of high pressure, thanks to an anticyclone over the Continent, meant a cool night with a low of 4.8C, just above the average, due to clearing skies. The ridge meant the barometric pressure read 1026,1mb at 08.00 a significant rise of 25mb over the last twenty-four hours and still rising but more slowly. It is the highest pressure since the 21st March.

Wednesday began with weak sunshine that by 07.30, when the sun had cleared the thin cloud on the eastern sky, then began to shine strongly. However, the next weather front is closing in on our area with thickening cloud this morning and rain likely after midday if not before. The wind will veer into the southwest again as the morning progresses.

A fragmenting rain band at 08.30 was just 15 miles to the west of Marlborough so the sunshine will soon disappear and rain to fall again.