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.