Tuesday was the third consecutive day when maxima were steadily rising with a peak of 24.8C late in the afternoon at 17.42 being 2.1C above my long-term average. There was a rather surprising low temperature overnight with a minimum of 8.5C at 05.02 early Wednesday, just as the sun rose over Marlborough at 05.01, which was 3.4C below average.
Wednesday began with glorious sunshine that was quite comfortable first thing until the sun got to work just after 07.30 which lifted the thermometer to 17.5C by 08.00. However, minimal, high cloud was noted drifting down on the light northwesterly breeze that coil limit sunshine this afternoon.
We might just reach heatwave conditions today as the maximum temperature indicated by both major weather forecasters is for a maximum of 27C. The high pressure continues to build that has seen an increase of 11mb since Monday with a reading of 1022.5mb at 08.00.
We are still under the Azores High that is not quite centred over the UK hence the airstream running clockwise around its western flank, then turning east and south over the UK, will continue the northwesterly breeze for today and one more day on Thursday. By Friday the centre of the anticyclone is forecast to build as it shifts further east over the UK that will see the wind change to come from a southeasterly quadrant for the following few days when the heat will really build.