Worst April Through June Since?

[Lake District Blizzard]

Browsing around the country it is clear this June has been quite awful so far. In the south places have already had over 100mm, 70-80mph winds and in some places just 10% of the average sunshine for June.

The CET mean maximum looks about 3c below average, competing with the coldest junes ever at the moment

Here in the Northern Lake District it hasn't been especially wet with just 50mm so far, although this is not far off the average for June. Sunshine has been scarce with just 3 or 4 mainly sunny days. Mean Maximums are around 2.5c below average, which is shocking.

Maximum so far this month is 19.5c, making last years cool june sounds tropical

Here it is probably the worst since 1987 although it could end up even worse, who knows

Before that, June 1972 was the coolest of the century in Cumbria, with mean max's of 14c and an absolute max of 18.5c

Edited June 15, 2012 by rjd1000

[Milhouse]

The fortnight just gone ranks second in the most dismal spells of summer weather i can ever remember. The second half of June 2007 claims first place due to the flooding that affected this area pretty badly.

The only way is up, surely.

[Thundery wintry showers]

This June has so far been staggering in Cleadon for its lack of warmth and sunshine- long-term averages for this area are around the 17C mark, and only the 6th has reached that value, while numerous days have been overcast and rainy with a cold wind and temperatures held back at around 13-14C. Averaged nationally 1987 is probably the answer to the original question.

The first half of June 2007 was comparably dull here, as easterly winds on the southern flank of high pressure brought dull dry weather until the 11th and it then turned cold and wet towards midmonth, but it was not as cold and five days surpassed 17C.

However I think this month is set to pick up somewhat during next week. It may not be spectacular but it doesn't need to be to "pick up" from where we've been at so far!

[Slowpoke]

For some areas, I think the max temperature recorded in March of this year exceeds every max of June, thus far.

Now THAT is shocking.

What a horrible month we're having...

[Aaron]

Not really noticed myself..

[Terminal Moraine]

And from the opposing corner....... this month has the potential to be one of best I've experienced in fifty years of recording.

Of course there is still the possibility that the second half of the month may turn out quite nice for the rest of you and all go horribly wrong for me but the first half of June is up there with August 1956, July 1988 and the second half of June 2007 for below average temperature, exceptional rainfall and lack of sunshine.

There are very few summer months when such momentum is maintained throughout so I would expect the second half of June to be a watered down ( excuse the pun ) version of the first, in that it won't be settled but neither will it be as cool, dull and wet as the first half.

About 68 mm of rain required here to break the June 2007 record and beyond that, in the far distance, is August 2004 which would need 99mm. Everything is crossed at Chateau Terminal.

[Polar Continental]

This June to me is fascinating, my current mean is just 12.4c, not sure what the current CET is, but I guess not far off. Still a long way to go to beat June 1972 (11.8c) and the daddy of them all 11.5c set in 1675. Going by the latest model outputs, I am sure we be going in the wrong direction, so 1972 and 1675 records are safe, although like TM fingers crossed for the best / worst.

There is a down side to this chill and damp though. My vegetables are doing terribly this year, everything is stunted, runner beans are going know where, marrow plants are failing, my peppers rotted away with damp, shallots look very miserable.

I have a colony of honey bees which are hardly getting out, when they do go out in a spell of sunshine, many come back to the hive chilled and lethargic after getting yet another soaking while out. I may have to feed them at this rate, as they are eating their stores and not replacing, the honey flow should be well under way now, and hardly any is coming in.

Edited June 16, 2012 by Polar Continental

[Weather-history]

And from the opposing corner....... this month has the potential to be one of best I've experienced in fifty years of recording.

Seriously how you can explain rationally the joy of wanting it to be exceptionally wet and dulI? Can understand the coolness part of the equation but not wanting the enormous rainfall totals that does not rationally make sense, IMO. And I don't equate excessive snowfall with excessive rainfall by the way. I can see people getting excited by a massive snowfall and a month with record breaking snowfall but not with rainfall.

[Weather-history]

Browsing around the country it is clear this June has been quite awful so far. In the south places have already had over 100mm, 70-80mph winds and in some places just 10% of the average sunshine for June.

The CET mean maximum looks about 3c below average, competing with the coldest junes ever at the moment

Here in the Northern Lake District it hasn't been especially wet with just 50mm so far, although this is not far off the average for June. Sunshine has been scarce with just 3 or 4 mainly sunny days. Mean Maximums are around 2.5c below average, which is shocking.

Maximum so far this month is 19.5c, making last years cool june sounds tropical

Here it is probably the worst since 1987 although it could end up even worse, who knows

Before that, June 1972 was the coolest of the century in Cumbria, with mean max's of 14c and an absolute max of 18.5c

Too early to tell because the second half of the month could be better than the first half.

It's the rainfall totals that are amazing, half way through the month and it's already in the top 50 wettest Junes. The first half of this June has been phenomenally wet.

[TonyH]

Seriously how you can explain rationally the joy of wanting it to be exceptionally wet and dulI? Can understand the coolness part of the equation but not wanting the enormous rainfall totals that does not rationally make sense, IMO. And I don't equate excessive snowfall with excessive rainfall by the way. I can see people getting excited by a massive snowfall and a month with record breaking snowfall but not with rainfall.

I get pleasure from wet weather and especially excessive rainfall too, although not to the extent of not enjoying dry. sunny and warm spells.

[Evening thunder]

Seriously how you can explain rationally the joy of wanting it to be exceptionally wet and dulI? Can understand the coolness part of the equation but not wanting the enormous rainfall totals that does not rationally make sense, IMO. And I don't equate excessive snowfall with excessive rainfall by the way. I can see people getting excited by a massive snowfall and a month with record breaking snowfall but not with rainfall.

I like heavy rainfall and recording high totals and find it interesting, especially torrential convective downpours, what I don't like so much is too much dull grey weather with long lasting, often light/moderate frontal rainfall. I'd rather have rainfall like they do on the continent, more commonly convective in nature and shorter duration, but heavier when it falls. That way you also get more of the other things I like, warm summery weather and thunderstorms.

Living near a river and being interested in many physical geography aspects I find it interesting how they react to rainfall and when they are very high, though I don't like it when they flood peoples houses (admittedly built on the floodplain). Some heavy rainfall here (and unusually strong winds and stormy seas last week) is pretty much the only thing stopping me loosing interest and being completely dis-satisfied with this month.

Not gunna deny it, I'd love to experience a truly heavy fall of rain (convective or not) that gives over 100mm, or even rainfall like a place in Florida had recently (over 21 inches in 24 hours I think it was!). In an ideal world of course no one/property would be in the way of the resulting floods so I can see the spectacle without the unwanted consequences it often brings in this country.

Forgot to add, What I don't like in a summer month is cold/coolness, I need some warmth and also not too bad sunshine amounts. A few brief cool spells are ok to keep variety but not long lasting cool dull weather. In that respect, unless unusually dull I'd probably put a warm wet month above a cool dry month, especially if much of the rainfall in the warmer wet month was convective with thunderstorms.

If this June doesn't find some more sunshine and warmth though, it will end up pretty low indeed in my pile of summer months I've experienced..

Edited June 16, 2012 by Stormmad26

[Scorcher]

Seriously how you can explain rationally the joy of wanting it to be exceptionally wet and dulI? Can understand the coolness part of the equation but not wanting the enormous rainfall totals that does not rationally make sense, IMO. And I don't equate excessive snowfall with excessive rainfall by the way. I can see people getting excited by a massive snowfall and a month with record breaking snowfall but not with rainfall.

I agree with this, still can't get my head around it, I've still never met anyone in the 'real world' with these preferences. Cool yes but everyone I speak to is depressed by the constant cloud and rain. Especially with the dark, dull winters that we have to endure in this country.

[Terminal Moraine]

Seriously how you can explain rationally the joy of wanting it to be exceptionally wet and dulI? Can understand the coolness part of the equation but not wanting the enormous rainfall totals that does not rationally make sense, IMO. And I don't equate excessive snowfall with excessive rainfall by the way. I can see people getting excited by a massive snowfall and a month with record breaking snowfall but not with rainfall.

I have a very dark soul! It's probably the same reason I listen to Napalm Death at high volume.

But, jesting apart ( although I do listen to Napalm Death at high volume ) I find excessive rainfall just as exciting a huge snowfall, it's postively addictive seeing the total creep, or jump, higher and higher and knowing there's even more to come.

I'm not saying I'd want it to rain 24 hours a day every day ( although a month of it would be an experience! ) as it would make going out on my bike an arduous experience but even in the most unsettled spells this country experiences there are days with 7 or 8 hours of dry weather and that's more than enough for me.

I also like the boundaries of climate to be pushed at the cold and wet end of the scale at all times of year- it's why I live at almost 1100', because a cold and wet day here is a REALLY cold and wet day.

A small change in climate towards colder and wetter would soon make my local climate similar to that at about 1800' without me having to move house. I love the weather and climate of the high moors and if, for whatever reason, I can't move to it I'll have it move down to me.

The holy grail for me, in summer, would be a July or August with the greatest negative temperature anomaly on the CET record coupled with the highest monthly rainfall on record.

[marky810]

I remember a days fishing on a blustery, wet day in June 2000 where it 'only' reached 17c thinking what a poor day!

I'd gladly take 17c now!

[Relativistic]

I have a very dark soul! It's probably the same reason I listen to Napalm Death at high volume.

But, jesting apart ( although I do listen to Napalm Death at high volume ) I find excessive rainfall just as exciting a huge snowfall, it's postively addictive seeing the total creep, or jump, higher and higher and knowing there's even more to come.

I'm not saying I'd want it to rain 24 hours a day every day ( although a month of it would be an experience! ) as it would make going out on my bike an arduous experience but even in the most unsettled spells this country experiences there are days with 7 or 8 hours of dry weather and that's more than enough for me.

I also like the boundaries of climate to be pushed at the cold and wet end of the scale at all times of year- it's why I live at almost 1100', because a cold and wet day here is a REALLY cold and wet day.

A small change in climate towards colder and wetter would soon make my local climate similar to that at about 1800' without me having to move house. I love the weather and climate of the high moors and if, for whatever reason, I can't move to it I'll have it move down to me.

The holy grail for me, in summer, would be a July or August with the greatest negative temperature anomaly on the CET record coupled with the highest monthly rainfall on record.

I'm also one for really heavy rainfalls, I find them really exciting. I don't see why people get so depressed by it, yes, I agree, you can't do much, but living in this country I have just learn't to get use to it, and actually enjoy it.

I would also love to live through he biggest negative temperature anomaly for a Summer month, it would just be amazing to experience and to has memories of how strange that month was.

[Essan]

At least it's not been as wet here as 2007 (and nor was May as wet as 2007)

Edited June 16, 2012 by Essan

[The PIT]

Too early to say whether it's the worse since xxxx year. At the moment it's looking like a repeat of June 2009

[conor123]

Definately been worse than any June in my living memory here, yet again today its pouring with rain and as dark as December.

June 2007 had 2 massive thunderstorms with plenty of sunshine during the first half of the month aswell as several days between 21-24c, there hasnt been a day above 16c

here this month yet which is crazy!

[Jon Somerset]

Curiously my peas like this weather and are producing loads of pods for me to chow down in in a couple of weeks. Some friends are also finishing studies and writing essays to hand in this coming week - so for them this weather has been perfect. Some silver linings, I suppose.

[Carl46Wrexham]

This June has been as vile as a typical November at times. Low light levels...gloom...rain that never seems to want to stop (in an area that just does not need it, that is particularly infuriating) a constant nagging cool wind that has varied from a fresh breeze to a near gale.

Horrible...and very depressing. A pathetic apology for a "summer" month.

[TonyH]

140mm for the first half, so the record (186mm in 2007) certain to fall

[TonyH]

Definately been worse than any June in my living memory here, yet again today its pouring with rain and as dark as December.

June 2007 had 2 massive thunderstorms with plenty of sunshine during the first half of the month aswell as several days between 21-24c, there hasnt been a day above 16c

here this month yet which is crazy!

I seriously doubt that, we had 23c on the 2nd, and the majority have exceeded 16c.

Edited June 16, 2012 by TonyH

[Lake District Blizzard]

parts of the eden valley area and the pennines in cumbria haven't exceeded 16c this june either

[conor123]

I seriously doubt that, we had 23c on the 2nd, and the majority have exceeded 16c.

How could you of had 23c on the 2nd when that was on the bank holiday washout weekend? unless your mixing it up with Friday 1st?

Oh my mistake actually Id forgot the 1st when it reached 18c here, but the highest since that has been 16.2c and it was only 13.7c on the 2nd.

Lampeter is over 100 miles away from here anyway and Rugby over 60 so im sure the climate is a lot different there anyway

Edited June 16, 2012 by conor123

[I remember Atlantic 252]

1st june my highest max at 23.3C, feel it will be beaten over wimbledon