The strong, continuous sunshine on Tuesday boosted the temperature to a maximum of 27.6C at 13.37 before variable cloud limited any further rise until later in the afternoon when the cloud thinned and a peak of 28.5C was logged at 17.17. This was 7.9C above my 40-year average and the hottest day since 9th September 2023 (31.0C).
The ground has absorbed the heat over the past three days so a mild night followed with a minimum of 12.5C at 05.18 before the sun rose. This was 2.3C above the average and made it the warmest night since 7th October.
Wednesday began with strong sunshine after sunrise that by 08.00 had pushed the thermometer to 20.7C.
Update at 16.35: maximum of 29.3C logged at 15.43.
The hot sunshine has been absorbed by the ground over the past four days with a temperature at a depth of 5cm reading 16.7C, 17.2C, 21.4C and 22.1C respectively.
The recent anticyclone has been slowly losing its pressure as a depression edges closer from the northwest. As a result today will be the last of the hot, sunny days as advance cloud from the low pressure system will begin to cover the sky on Thursday. The barometric pressure at 08.00 read 1013.6C, down 7mb since Monday.