Wednesday was the sixteenth consecutive day with the maximum above my long-term average with a peak of 24.3C logged at 14.56, which was +3.7C. Mid-afternoon brought variable cloud before the temperature picked up again late afternoon but not surpassing the earlier high. The wind was very light, after a few breezy days, with a maximum gust of 11mph continuing from the west. The UV level fell back to ‘High’ after three consecutive days when it soared into the ‘Very High’ category. The minimum of 16.1C was also well above average at +5.9C logged at 04.27 early Thursday.
Thursday arrived revealing a cloudy sky after some initial brightness, which was due to a cold front passing over our area bringing thicker cloud. A few light spots of precipitation were observed at 06.40. The cloud from the second weather front, currently over the West Country, appears to be fragmenting so probably little or no precipitation when it arrives over our area around midday. The cloud will limit sunshine today so a cooler day is in prospect.
The anticyclone just to the south of the UK will begin to assert itself from Friday that will see temperatures by day soar again with a possible short-lived heatwave that will last through the weekend reaching a peak on Monday.
Summer temperatures usually rise due to day-on-day heating known as homegrown warmth, as high pressure takes charge. This was the case through the middle of last week, which will be repeated over the next four days as a plume of hot air surges north over the UK. The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm has risen over the past three days with 17.3C, 19.7C and 20.0C respectively today.
The image is looking north from St Peter’s Church tower in Marlborough over the sports ground that was taken in 2015.