Friday 19th June
The low cloud and misty conditions persisted for much of Thursday morning before around midday when it began to show signs of thinning and lifting and by 14.00 the sun began to breakthrough and shine strongly. The late afternoon sunshine boosted the temperature to a maximum of 25.1C at 17.8 making it the hottest day since 30th May and 4.3C above my long-term June average. The past night was the coolest for five nights that saw the thermometer drop to a low of 14.0C at 04.36 early Friday, just before sunrise in Marlborough at 04.50. This minimum was 3.8C above the June average.
Friday arrived with low cloud draping the Marlborough Downs and Savernake Forest, however, just after 07.30 the cloud cover began to thin and the sun to break through any gaps that appeared.
We are still under the influence of the depression, centred just to the south of Iceland, that will push a weather front across the country later today, which is likely to increase the cloud late afternoon after what is probably going to be a sunny morning. The barometric pressure has dropped another 5mb since 08.00 on Thursday.
High pressure is still lurking to the south, reaching from the Azores to eastern Europe. By Saturday the forecast pressure charts indicate that the anticyclone will begin to win the battle and ease towards the UK, after the weather front eases away to the east coast late Friday. It will be Sunday before the anticyclone fully arrives over the UK and temperatures begin to soar, Monday likely to be the hottest day with a maximum above 30C.
Official heat wave conditions will start on Sunday when the maximum will be above the heatwave threshold for Wiltshire of 27C and continue through the week and up to and likely include the following weekend. A significant heatwave is developing across large parts of Europe and attempting to send a plume of hot air across the UK.
Part two of the Met Office press release on how their science is reviewed. The role of the Met Office Scientific Advisory Committee (MOSAC).
MOSAC has three main responsibilities. First, it provides an independent assessment of the quality and relevance of scientific research that underpins national weather and climate services. This helps ensure that forecasts, warnings and long-term climate assessments are based on the strongest possible evidence.
Second, it monitors whether the organisation’s science is meeting the needs of those who rely on it, from government departments and emergency responders to private-sector customers and members of the public. Because weather and climate services underpin critical national infrastructure and planning, maintaining strong alignment with users’ needs is essential.
Third, MOSAC fosters international connections by bringing together experts from multiple countries and research fields. This helps build a scientific community that not only supports the Met Office but also feeds into global meteorological progress. These international links are especially valuable in a world where weather and climate issues are increasingly interconnected.
Along with these three responsibilities, MOSAC also provides many additional benefits.
It provides important opportunities for our staff to engage with world leading experts, raises the profile of our staff, and provides important opportunities for all staff to learn about the latest progress and advances in National Capability.