Forecast notes
Feels like
The "feels like" temperature is calculated based on the temperature, humidity and wind speed.
Soil temperature
The significance of soil temperatures depends on your soil type. As a rule of thumb, warm soils dry out more quickly, and cold soils retain water, but soil types accentuate these actions.
Heavy clay is the densest soil type so retains moisture and cold for longer than other types, making it harder to work. Soil is slowest to warm up in spring so crops are generally later in this soil type.
Stony and chalky soils retain less water than clay so plants in this soil need more summer watering, particularly as temperatures rise.
Lightest of all is sandy soil, which rapidly dries out in summer, but is also the earliest to warm up in spring, making it useful for early crops.
Wind
The UK's prevailing wind direction of south-westerly brings generally warmer, damper air, good for our gardens. Easterly winds in winter bring cold, dry air, and in summer bring hot, dry air: both result in desiccation of plants and foliage if winds are over 15-20mph. Cold drying winds are also, however, good for crumbling freshly-dug soil in winter.
Humidity
Less than 75% humidity leads to a marked increase in evaporation from plants and increased need for watering.
Rain
This is the forecast amount of rainfall during the preceding 3hrs across the region.
