AderynCoch

Just noticed that the leap in CET from March to July this year was the largest on record (15.6C).

We've got the radiators on plus the big fire in the front room. I don't recall having to turn the heating on so early in the autumn before, and this was after having it on very late into spring (late May): consequently it's such a short gap between the last time having it on in spring and the first time having it on in autumn, and it's somewhat ironic that the summer was pretty warm and I've been in shorts most days since the beginning of July. It must be the shock of the rather abrupt transition from a generally warm pattern to a proper autumnal one with distinctly chilly mornings, as these temperatures would still be very mild in winter and if anything would facilitate turning the heating off rather than on.

You have to be joking! If 2012 didn't have enough rain, what summer did?

Tromso is inside the Arctic Circle, so the sun doesn't set at all in mid-summer. The corollary of this is that it doesn't rise in mid-winter, but there is still civil twilight in the afternoon.

That's only June and July. August's figures haven't been confirmed yet. I should imagine that it will still be a pretty dry summer though.

June 7/10 July 9/10 August 7/10 Overall 7.7/10 Much better than any summer since 2006.

The final Ashes Test in 2005 was in early September.

14.5

Not sure I'd fancy chancing upon a bear when walking through the countryside.

If anything I would say August this summer has favoured the east given how much westerly winds have dominated. Not that it's been a bad month here.

Didn't have to wait long for a duller August. I do recall 2006 rivalling 2008 for dullness in some parts of the country (like the Peak District).

Out of interest how does the individual score for August 2006 compare with other months? I was disappointed with that month due to what came before, but I don't recall it being that bad in absolute terms.

Yeah, I'm sorry too. I got a bit carried away. I should think before I post. All I'll add is how can someone happily down brutally-hot curries and get agitated by warm temperatures?

I'm also surprised to see 2013 above 2006, but this has been a summer of consistency rather than extremes (the one exception being July's unusually-high amount of sunshine for most places). While July 2013 couldn't quite hold a candle to July 2006, the summer as a whole has been sunny and not that wet. There has been some heavy rain and some pretty autumnal days, but they haven't dominated to the extent they have in much of the previous summers and there has been a lot of dry, sunny weather to be had. Even August has turned out pretty decent despite threatening not to. Also of course that's only the index for Manchester. The rankings won't be the same everywhere.

No need to imagine it - we got it for the bulk of last summer and for an inordinate amount of time in the previous five. You've been spoilt for the past few years. This summer has come nowhere near close to cancelling out last summer. By the way no one cares about your weather preferences. You're not the only person who hates sun and heat, it's just that you make the most noise about it. The fact of the matter is there are people of all preferences who choose to have a go at others for daring to like what they like: it's wrong to have a go at people who want it to be cold and dull at the time but it's also wrong to have a go at people who like their summers hot and sunny, which does happen a lot on here as recently evidenced on the Summer 2013 thread (and even when it's not remotely hot and sunny like during last summer). Let's all just prefer what we prefer and stop looking down on others who think differently - for all sides. I hope that's not too much to ask.

Now care to tell us about those extensive areas of the world where it's hot and there isn't a problem with fires?

Personally I dread the crapola of autumn. The only interesting aspect for me is the potential for notably strong winds. You hardly ever get late warmth and you hardly ever get early snow. Just bland, monochrome Atlantic fare. Actually, I don't dread it so much this year because the summer has actually been half-decent for once. Last year autumn started at the beginning of June, effectively creating a double autumn. A nightmare of weather.

I'd class severe gales and persistent rain as autumnal weather. They can certainly occur outside autumn, but that's the time of year when they're more likely to occur.

I really don't notice any difference in socialising between summer and winter. Socialising is overrated anyway. One of the big drawbacks of warm summer weather is the large number of crowds it draws (and the increased number of oxygen thieves chucking water bombs and eggs from the safety of their souped-up Vauxhall Novas).

Ah yes, the record-breaking hot summer of 2007. I remember it well. Erm.

This was a fairly decent event here, giving a decent fall on the afternoon of the 8th (a few centimetres) and only gradually thawing through the 9th (with more falling snow). Certainly nice after the shockingly mild December and January.

1906 1942 1947 1984 1991 All spring to mind. I don't think heat in late August is that unusual, it's just that we've gone so long without it. It can't come soon enough as far as I'm concerned. What a grotty day today.

It did freeze properly upstream from London in January 1987. There's a photo of it in a book of mine.

At least we actually wait until March. That would be like the sunlight-haters waiting until September to start drooling over winter - instead come April we have to put up with stuff like "only 8 weeks until the days start getting shorter again" and it lasts well into autumn. Come late September I too will be looking forward to the long winter nights. Until then I'm going to savour the warmth of the sun (when it bothers to come out), which makes such a difference to the feel of things in summer.

It has to be a mistake though, unless we want to be really pedantic and say the source of the Thames froze after a sharp overnight frost.