The description of a heatwave is when the maximum daily temperature is equal to or above the Heatwave Threshold on three consecutive days. The Heatwave Threshold for Wiltshire is 27C. The thermometer reached a maximum of 32.0C on Tuesday and 29.0C at 13.25 on Wednesday. Therefore, if as predicted, the maximum today, Thursday, equals or is higher than 27C, we technically have endured a heatwave. At 08.00 the thermometer read 21.3C and was rising rapidly.
The Wednesday maximum, was 29.0, which made it the second hottest day this month being 6.3C above average. The thermometer only slowly fell overnight to a minimum of 15.1C at dawn, being 3.3C above average. Thankfully, this was 3C lower than the previous hot night.
The sunos Thursday, initially weakened by thin cloud in the eastern sky, soon rose above it and was shining strongly.
Yesterday was the eighteenth dry day this month. The rainfall total for July is now 31.4mm, which is 52% of the 35-year average, whereas the equivalent rainfall lost through evaporation from ground sources and plant life is 80mm.
Temperature at 08.00: 21.3C (70F)
Temperature at 09.00: 25.2C (77F)
Temperature at 10.00: 27.9C (82F)
Temperature at 11.00: 29.7C (85F)
Temperature at 12.00: 31.9C.(89F) – cloud building
Temperature at 13.00: 31.7C – mostly cloudy with high humidity
Temperature at 14.00: 31.2C – ribbon of cloud moving south to north obscuring sun
Temperature at 15.00: 31.5C
Temperature maximum of 32.6C (90.5F) at 16.10 making it the hottest day since 1st July 2015