Summer 2014 thread

[Weather-history]

May is the wettest and most unsettled month surely? Aug tends to be settled, cannot remember many if any washouts, late Aug temps do drop off and can feel like autumn, but still better than May

Looking at it nationally, May is on average drier than August.

[matty007]

Really?! Goes to show how dry some other areas must be. May is my fifth wettest month of the year on average with 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013 all being the wet category. It's also joint second most thundery month with August taking first place.

 

 

Yes. In terms of rainfall amount across the country, May comes out at the driest with 70mm, with April and June following behind. August is actually wetter than all those months, as well as February and July. However it does depend on where you live, for instance where I live, February is actually the driest month. 

[matty007]

Hard to believe that it will be the summer on Sunday, especially with this weather. It seems ominously reminiscent of Summer 2012, where we had a lovely, warm settled spell in May, and then it all turned to pot by June.

 

These last five days have been dismal, we are gripped by a stubborn ridge of low pressure at the moment. However it does look like it will improve come the weekend, and past that is anyone's guess. But I am praying for a warm (or even better, a hot) June. It's my favourite month of the year because you have all of Summer in front of you, longest days and the potential for some really hot weather. 

 

It was inevitable that the run of well above average months would have to come to an end, and it would be sods law that it would happen just in time for Summer. However, I think at this stage it's way too early to write the Summer off, especially as drastically as the train wreck of 2012 was. In the grand scheme of things, this has so far been a very short blip in an otherwise very good Spring. Things can change very quickly indeed and many years have had a bad end to Spring and the very start of Summer only to produce some very powerful heatwaves or long periods of settled and warm weather. 2006 and 2003 come to mind. Last year's May wasn't very good either. 

Edited May 27, 2014 by matty007

[StretfordEnd1996]

Thing with this Summer is, some people may say well since last year's was decent enough, this year won't be any comparison but in theory aren't we due two on the trot? The question might be asked! That said, some may wonder if this not so good end to Spring/Start of Summer may indeed set the tone for the rest of the season, but no one will ever know. 

[summer blizzard]

Thing with this Summer is, some people may say well since last year's was decent enough, this year won't be any comparison but in theory aren't we due two on the trot? The question might be asked! That said, some may wonder if this not so good end to Spring/Start of Summer may indeed set the tone for the rest of the season, but no one will ever know. 

 

We're certainly not. We are due a hot June and August but not July. We are also due an exceptionally bad June, July and August. 

[matty007]

Thing with this Summer is, some people may say well since last year's was decent enough, this year won't be any comparison but in theory aren't we due two on the trot? The question might be asked! That said, some may wonder if this not so good end to Spring/Start of Summer may indeed set the tone for the rest of the season, but no one will ever know. 

 

To be honest, I doubt this Summer will compete with last year's either, well the July at least. Averaging it out, a July like last years comes around about every 5-6 years. I think it would be a first to get two heatwaves like that in a row. Although I am only 21 and in comparison to some on here, am very inexperienced, so maybe someone can correct me on that.  

 

But there is a big difference between a heatwave and complete drudgery. Many Summers have been very settled and warm like 1999 for example. But people forget them because they didn't have any big heatwaves. Getting my crystal ball out, I have a feeling this will be a fairly settled Summer with some warm periods and a couple of unsettled ones. I don't think it'll be a washout, but that's of course plain intuition and guess work. For all we know it could turn into the hottest and most settled Summer in British history just as easy as it could be a compete washout and akin to 2007. But the current trend over the last 10 months favours a warm Summer, but not necessarily a very dry one. 

[matty007]

I'd love a repeat of 1995. Even though I was only 3 years old at the time. But people are always saying what a lovely summer it was, and a great year for weather generally. The August of that year must have been amazing. 

 

Closest I've come to that was July 2006. What a cracker of a month that was. 0mm of rain for the whole month, 24/7 clear skies and an average temperature of 28c. Amazing month.  

[matty007]

I think June 2012 could be deemed as "exceptionally bad".

 

 

Absolute stinker of a month, then again the whole Summer was. 

 

From what I can tell, June has always been very unpredictable in this country, especially recently. It's either great or complete rubbish, not much in-between. 

 

But I think people overlook last year's June because of the July that followed. Where I live at least, last June was very nice indeed. Had a couple of rainy spells admittedly but most of the month was very settled and warm, especially towards the end when it got very warm and humid. Could tell there was a heatwave on the way. 

[matty007]

June 2013 depended on where you were. Here in Manchester it was generally a very nice month. It wasn't boiling, but it was sunny and dry for the most part. However for those in the East, it was a very cool and cloudy month.

 

It sort of reminds me of Summer 2010 in general. Some say it was lovely, other say it was dreadful. Up here it was mainly cool and cloudy and probably one of the worst summers, but the South-East got some exceptionally warm weather in July.

 

 

That's a surprise I must say. It's hard to remember now but when I look back on it I certainly remember it as a warm and largely sunny month. Think I recorded quite a few days above 20c. And one of two near the 25c mark. 

 

I just remember 2010 being very cloudy but largely dry. Looking at my local weather station records we averaged a mean temperature of 18.5c in July 2010 with every day reaching over 20c, and most over 24c, so yes, actually a very warm month and much more so than I imagined. Ironically it was actually warmer on average than July of last year. That's amazing. It was much more cloudy than last year's July though. 

Edited May 27, 2014 by matty007

[summer blizzard]

I think June 2012 could be deemed as "exceptionally bad".

 

I mean in terms of temperature.

[matty007]

Yeah, at least the first two thirds of it were horrible in terms of temperatures. June 3 only recorded an incredibly pathetic 9°C for my location! Even after that, the temperatures only hovered between 11 and 15°C, which is still terrible or June. It was only in the last third of it that the temperatures began to pick up towards average again.

 

Yeah it was a terrible month, mean temperature at my location was 13.6. Dreadful for June. 

 

I think the best month for 2012 was August, with a mean temperature of 17.3c where I am. But it was very unsettled and patchy. A dreadful Summer all told. 

[matty007]

Even 2012 pales in comparison to 2007 though. 

 

A truly pitiful year for weather. 

[matty007]

The only thing Summer 2012 had going for it was thunderstorms.

 

 

Can't say I recall any. 

 

The only thunderstorms of any note recently where I am was when the heatwave broke down last year. Even that wasn't great though. You don't seem to get raging thunderstorms and lighting any more.

 

I remember one in particular that  was monstrous but I was only a kid and have a very hazy recollection. I reckon it must of been in 1997 during the heatwave. That was a massive thunderstorm that almost rattled the ground. That's the only storm I can recollect of any note. Apart from rumbles here and there. 

[summer blizzard]

Yeah, at least the first two thirds of it were horrible in terms of temperatures. June 3 only recorded an incredibly pathetic 9°C for my location! Even after that, the temperatures only hovered between 11 and 15°C, which is still terrible or June. It was only in the last third of it that the temperatures began to pick up towards average again.

 

I'd agree but in terms of the CET it was cool but not especially cold. We're as overdue a sub 13C June as we are a 17C+ June. Equally we are massively overdue a sub 15C July and August.

[cheeky_monkey]

If there's the possibility of a June worse than June 2012, then I hope to God that it is one overdue thing that just remains a possibillity and does not become a reality.

Doesn't have to be wet to get a sub 13c June..cool sunny days followed by cold nights would do the trick

[hillbilly]

Doesn't have to be wet to get a sub 13c June..cool sunny days followed by cold nights would do the trick

1991 is the coldest in recent times at 11.25c in these parts!

[Weather-history]

I'd love a repeat of 1995. Even though I was only 3 years old at the time. But people are always saying what a lovely summer it was, and a great year for weather generally. The August of that year must have been amazing.  

I uploaded forecasts from that summer on YouTube June

July

August

1995 was my favourite year for weather. That summer was superb and the August was magnificent. Late June was superb as well, that was very sunny around here. That last day of June was a scorcher but in the evening it felt freezing wearing a T shirt and shorts, temperature dropped about 10C in a hour or two, yet it remained sunny.Combine the first half of summer 1976 and the second half of summer 1995, you would have an unbelievable summer. It would be a severe drought, almost a national emergency I reckon.

[Stargazer]

Hmm - if we had the summer of 76 first half followed by summer of 95 we'd have a guaranteed hosepipe ban (even though after all that winter rain the water companies said it would be impossible!)

 

Last June was a nice month here - near average temperatures and sunshine and very dry.  Particularly remember the first weekend of wall-to-wall sunshine when we had a street party - we're doing it again this Saturday afternoon so fingers crossed that the (quite decent) forecasts don't go downhill at the last minute.

[Lauren]

I don't think it's beyond reality to get several hot summers in a row. 95 - 97 were three of the best summers I can remember, long, hot days and thundery nights.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Got summer (wimbledon) 2001 as very hot! do not want a repeat thanks, do not really hear that summer mentioned, but was it that hot?

 

although I remember it broke down on Friday 6th July for henman v ivanisevic

Edited May 27, 2014 by IrememberAtlantic252

[Weather-history]

Got summer (wimbledon) 2001 as very hot! do not want a repeat thanks, do not really hear that summer mentioned, but was it that hot? although I remember it broke down on Friday 6th July for henman v ivanisevic

There were some hot days that summer

[summer blizzard]

To be honest, I really would be quite happy with a repeat of last year to be honest, even though it's unlikely. This is because June at least for me, was generally quite sunny and dry with temperatures ranging from 18 to 25C. July is pretty self-explanatory. The heat wave and thundery breakdown at the end. August was less settled, but was by no means cold at all and it did also bring some decent thunderstorms earlier in the month and then later on. Then even September, though it had a couple spoiler days, was generally a warm, dry and settled month.

 

I don't mind dry heat in June and July but by August the humidity when warm leads me to support a 2010 style collapse.

[damianslaw]

Last June was very pleasant in the Lake District despite being quite a cool month. It was fairly dry with plenty of sunny bright days and no real washout spells. I'd be happy with a similar June, I'd sooner have dry sunny days with maxima between 16-20 degrees, than humid damp murky days with temps maxing in the low 20's- such conditions are what tend to occur when we have the dreaded southwesterly tropical maritime airstream - an airstream I detest at all times of the year, but particularly so in the summer months, as it usually always means murky low grey skies and a horrid dank very humid feel.. yuk...

 

Recent Junes have been a mixed bag, June 2012 was a shocker, June 2009 delivered some decent warmth at times, June 2010 and 2011 preety average affairs, we have to go back to June 2005 for a proper warm one. June 2006 also delivered some heat, but wasn't quite as warm as 2006.

 

Indeed since 2003, June has been on average the driest of our summer months. July has often been a very wet affair - 2006 and 2013 the exceptions, and August has often been a dissapointingly cloudy month notably so in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. Indeed we haven't had any particularly hot weather in August from memory since 2003 in these parts.

[Summer of 95]

We've had the odd hot day in August this century (9th 2003, 1st 2013, a couple in the very wet August 2004) but there really hasn't been anything I'd describe as a prolonged hot dry sunny spell in August since 1995.

But for all people say about summer 2007, I reckon it was the best August here in recent years, certainly since 2000. There were two discrete spells when the temp hit the mid 20s, one on the first weekend and one around the bank holiday; in between lots of acceptable weather, ie partly sunny and around 20-22C. No washout spells, not many of those horrid cool grey days that we got a load of in Augusts like 2010 and 2011. Yes it was better than2003 which honestly wasn't that good here apart from one or two days.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Summer of 95

[TonyH]

Not sure about that as October 1911 made 171 hours here and april 2011 made 206 hrs!!!!!

It does happen rarely yes, I meant more regards the average, May and June are the sunniest months due to day length.