Monday 27th April
The variable but warm sunshine on Sunday once again lifted the temperature well above average with a peak of 19.5C at 14.11 being +5.2C. Thankfully, the past night has not been quite so cold with a low 3.6C at 06.01, which was only just below average -0.3C, just after sunrise in Marlborough at 05.47.
Monday arrived with muted sunshine at first, through thin cloud on the eastern horizon, but shining strongly well before 08.00, by which time the temperature had risen to 9.9C, which made it the warmest start to a new day at that time since the 17th. It will be another fine and dry day although cloud is likely to arrive during the afternoon.
The result of the very warm days also the last two nights being less cold, but still below average, is the rise above 10C in the soil temperature at a depth of 5cm, read at 08.00. The slight warming has seen temperatures of 8.4C, 11.1C and 12.7C respectively, over the last three nights. There is still some apple blossom about so I hope the sharp frost Saturday morning did not severely affect the pollination.
The dominant high pressure is slowly changing its position but still centred over and to the north of the UK, which will result in the fine, dry weather likely to continue well into the new week. However, there are two small and significant developments. A small pool of cold air has arrived in the the mid-atmosphere causing some disturbance, that could see some cloud arrive this afternoon and possible light rain towards the east of the country that might, might, just skirt around the eastern boundary of the anticyclone with the outside chance of a light shower here, but the odds are minimal. As the high pressure migrates over the next few days it will elongate northwards and eastwards. This will result in the wind veering into the northeast again and gaining in strength over the next three days. The squeeze between the high pressure and a depression to the south west will result in the pressure gradient increasing significantly, which will bring a change to a cooler air stream and the return of strong winds from the northeast from Tuesday to Thursday, on Wednesday they will be particularly strong, however, maximum temperatures are expected to remain well above the late April average.