Yesterday was another dry day during daylight hours but the prolonged dry spell was truly broken in the early hours as a weather front crossed the area from west to east. We enjoyed 3.06 hours of strong sunshine during which the UV level again rose into the ‘High’ category, the highest since 22nd August last year.
The thermometer edged a little higher yesterday with a maximum of 17.7C just before 3.30pm, which is 1C above the average in the variable winds between southwest and south.
Overnight the cloud thickened as the weather front brought rain starting just after 01.15 and lasting for three hours. The total rainfall was 16.1mm, making it the wettest day since 21st November 2016. There were peak downpours just after 02.30 and 03.30 with rain falling at a rate equivalent to 14mm/hour. The rainfall total now for May has risen to 29.9mm.
This morning dawned with the weather front and its associated cloud slowly clearing to the east allowing broken sunshine to break through occasionally. It was a mild night with a minimum of 9.8C, which is 3C above the average of May.
The result of the warmer days and nights has raised the soil temperature, at a depth of 5cm, to 13.9C, the warmest since 29th September last year.
