Monday 20th July
Sunday was the first day when the cooler air, originating from near Iceland, began to affect our weather. The thermometer only very slowly began to rise during the morning and into the afternoon, eventually peaking at 16.29 with a maximum of 23.1C, just 0.2C above average. It was the coolest day this month and only just above the July average. Under clear skies in the early hours, before cloud arrived just after 02.00 and a cool air stream, the temperature dropped very low overnight producing the coolest night this month, in fact it was the coolest night since the 16th May, which was a significant 5.7C below my long-term average.
Monday began under muted sunshine due to thin, high cloud that limited the rise in warmth resulting in a temperature of just 11.2C at 08.00.
The week ahead will continue to be dominated by the high pressure to the west of the UK feeding in the cooler air on a northeasterly breeze and fending off any weather fronts that might arrive around its northern flank, which might impact Scotland. However, forecasts indicate that temperatures will increase again this week being several degrees above average although not reaching the heatwave threshold, and staying dry.
Not only was the cooler air obvious from the coolest day and night but also the ground, which at 08.00 each day and at a depth of 5cm read 21.6C, 20.2C and 17.2C, respectively over the past three days. The day itself produced the highest peak solar radiation for several days, with a peak of 1130W/m2 at 12.31 as the air from the northern quadrant is less polluted than that from the Continent. The UV level was also at its highest for a week being at the top end of the High scale.
For several days I will attach images taken on the Kennet and Avon canal with a horse drawn barge.