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Worst summer of the 1980s?


Sunny76

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Posted
  • Location: Nymburk, Czech Republic and Staines, UK
  • Weather Preferences: Sunny and warm in summer, thunderstorms, snow, fog, frost, squall lines
  • Location: Nymburk, Czech Republic and Staines, UK
1 hour ago, Sunny76 said:

Depending on where you were, the answers may vary. 

Down in London, I would say 86 and 88 were the poorest for lack of sun and too much wet weather.

I’d agree with ‘86, that was chilly too, if memory serves me right. 

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
2 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

Depending on where you were, the answers may vary. 

Down in London, I would say 86 and 88 were the poorest for lack of sun and too much wet weather.

 The second half of June 1986 was pretty decent, believe it or not, it was the warmest second half of June for CET since 1976.

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Posted
  • Location: Cobham Surrey
  • Weather Preferences: clear skies , hard frost , snow !
  • Location: Cobham Surrey

Growing up in the midlands 85,86,87&88 were all pretty poor especially during the school holidays - 89 was such a revelation !! 

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Posted
  • Location: Leeds
  • Weather Preferences: snow, heat, thunderstorms
  • Location: Leeds

I wasn't alive but August 1986 had an average high of 17.3C in Leeds. Just 3 days exceeded 20C and the highest was a measly 20.7C. The 22nd had a high of 12.4C. 13 nights fell below 10C with the lowest being 5.6C.

Takes a lot to  get a summer month that terrible.

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.
  • Weather Preferences: Anything extreme
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.

In this area, based on a personally devised index comprising temperature, rainfall amount and frequency, and sunshine, 1985 was the worst summer of the 80s although there wasn't much to choose between 1985, 1986 and 1987. The summer of 1985 ( June to August ) is the only one in my records ( since 1963) with a mean maximum below 16c  (15.9c ). 1986 and 1987 came close with a mean maximum of 16.1c.

In recent years the summer of 2012 is the only one to approach the 1985 score on my index. The 2012 summer was quite a bit warmer than 1985-1987 but was also much wetter.

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Posted
  • Location: Perth, Scotland
  • Location: Perth, Scotland

Probably 1985 for me, it was cold, wet, dull and often windy for the majority of the summer, 1986 was probably the coldest summer of the 80’s but from what I recall I don’t remember it being very wet 1987 was probably on par with 1985 other than a short spell of warm weather in July. 1988 had a horrible July and August but a decently June

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Posted
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.

1986 to 1988 was very poor for little or no thunder unlike 1985.

But I would choose 1988 for worst summer of the 80`s in this area relentless cold wet atlantic.

Edited by Snowyowl9
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Posted
  • Location: Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands 145m ASL
  • Location: Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands 145m ASL
3 hours ago, Badgers01 said:

Growing up in the midlands 85,86,87&88 were all pretty poor especially during the school holidays - 89 was such a revelation !! 

I was born, raised and still live in the Midlands and they would have been my first four Summer's, not that I remember of course. But obviously I would have missed the good Summer's of 83 and 84 and therefore I didn't witness a good Summer (1989) until I was 4. I'm sure there must have been occasional good weather in the Summers of 85 to 88 though as I've seen plenty of photos in those years where it appears to be sunny and warm. Though they might not necessarily have been taken during Summer. Two points of reference that come to mind though are around May or June 85, which would have been my christening. Also in July 86 we would have been visiting family in Northern Ireland and the weather looks pretty good on some of the photos from then. These were probably just random nice days in a sea of crud, but it can't have been too bad all the time.

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Posted
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.

Not much difference in all 4 of those summers temp wise 1985 was the coolest.

June 1987 did give a really chilly start I do remember that,as we had new neighbours from London and they couldn`t get over how cold it was,cooler than some days in winter.

Edited by Snowyowl9
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Posted
  • Location: Cobham Surrey
  • Weather Preferences: clear skies , hard frost , snow !
  • Location: Cobham Surrey
55 minutes ago, Walsall Wood Snow said:

I was born, raised and still live in the Midlands and they would have been my first four Summer's, not that I remember of course. But obviously I would have missed the good Summer's of 83 and 84 and therefore I didn't witness a good Summer (1989) until I was 4. I'm sure there must have been occasional good weather in the Summers of 85 to 88 though as I've seen plenty of photos in those years where it appears to be sunny and warm. Though they might not necessarily have been taken during Summer. Two points of reference that come to mind though are around May or June 85, which would have been my christening. Also in July 86 we would have been visiting family in Northern Ireland and the weather looks pretty good on some of the photos from then. These were probably just random nice days in a sea of crud, but it can't have been too bad all the time.

as with nearly all summers there were occasional better periods of weather in amongst the crud - but 85-88 inclusive are universally acknowledged as a notable run of poor summer sandwiched between 83/4 and 89/90!

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Posted
  • Location: Reading
  • Location: Reading

I was living in Southampton for most of the 80s. 1985-88 were all poor there, with 1986 being notably cool (and the cold spell including September) and 1988 probably being the worst of the bunch as it was very wet too. In contrast, 1983 and 1989 were classic long hot summers, and 1984 was pretty decent.

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Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

85 easily... 80 wasnt good either. 86 87 wasnt good but imho wasnt as bad as 85, maybe because 85 was cool and wet?... i remember farmers not being able to harvest crops and having them rot in the fields.

id rate 83 as the best, 89, 84, next.

82,86, 87, 88, uninspiring

85, 80, 81 worst.

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Posted
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine and 15-25c
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)

For me 1986 ..just edges it from 1988..then its 1985...1986 was cool and wet..if i remember even the spring was crap April being particularity cold and wet...1988 started not to bad but July was a stinker cool and very wet..1985 was not much to right home about apart from the first week in July which was hot...oddly i remember 1987 as being not bad in my location..neither cool or wet??

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Posted
  • Location: London
  • Location: London

I remember 85 having some hot weather in the London area for a while during July, especially the day Live Aid took place. 

The August was cold and dull for the most part though. I remember my summer holidays between 85-88. 

1985 was cool and cloudy, but 1986 appears to be the one which was really bad. June was hot, but August was dire.

I recall 1987 being hot and thundery at times. Maybe it’s the mid August hot spell that just seems to stand out in my mind.

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Posted
  • Location: Skirlaugh, East Yorkshire
  • Location: Skirlaugh, East Yorkshire

1985 is probably the worst here, though 1985-1988 were all pretty dire. They were all wetter than average and cool, but 1985 just wins out for the worst.

For an idea of how bad 1985 was, just 13 days topped 21C all summer here. The August came in with a mean at 15.0C, which seemed bad until August 1986 sunk even lower with 13.7C!

In total, in the four summers between 1985 and 1988, only 11 days surpassed 25C here. Less than this July which had 14! All four had a mean temp of at least 0.5C below 2012.

I couldn't imagine the reaction if we had such a summer nowadays. I doubt its even possible now though to be honest.

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Posted
  • Location: Leeds
  • Weather Preferences: snow, heat, thunderstorms
  • Location: Leeds

I think it's nigh on impossible to get an August as cool as 1986 now. None of the recent bad August's have been anywhere near as cool. I would probably have a nervous breakdown if we had an August like that now.

Edited by cheese
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Posted
  • Location: London
  • Location: London
1 hour ago, reef said:

1985 is probably the worst here, though 1985-1988 were all pretty dire. They were all wetter than average and cool, but 1985 just wins out for the worst.

For an idea of how bad 1985 was, just 13 days topped 21C all summer here. The August came in with a mean at 15.0C, which seemed bad until August 1986 sunk even lower with 13.7C!

In total, in the four summers between 1985 and 1988, only 11 days surpassed 25C here. Less than this July which had 14! All four had a mean temp of at least 0.5C below 2012.

I couldn't imagine the reaction if we had such a summer nowadays. I doubt its even possible now though to be honest.

I think those summers were bad even for 1980s standards. We had similar summers in the late 2000s, although warmer in temps, they were certainly wet.

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Posted
  • Location: London
  • Location: London
1 hour ago, cheese said:

I think it's nigh on impossible to get an August as cool as 1986 now. None of the recent bad August's have been anywhere near as cool. I would probably have a nervous breakdown if we had an August like that now.

And these were sandwiched by the really cold winters of the 80s. 

Hot summers don’t always bode well if we want a cold snowy winter. 

August 93 and 2010 were other poor ones,  but 86 was possibly the worst ever. 17-20c summers are depressing. 

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Posted
  • Location: halifax 125m
  • Weather Preferences: extremes the unusual and interesting facts
  • Location: halifax 125m

As a farmer during this period I would say that 1985 just shades it as the worst.The period 85 to 88 was a poor period for summers and were all different in how they were poor.1986 being coolest and dull with 1988 a wet july and 1987 a cold wet june.It is all too well looking at stats but sometimes what it felt like has more of a bearing to me and 1985 was definitely worse when we were trying to make hay in july and august,it was the first year I saw anyone with a round baler where people wrapped it in a plastic bag because it couldn't be made dry enough.I do however think that both 2008 and 2012 were worse,once again for different reasons.

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Posted
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.

There was more sunshine in the 80`s and less rain to those biblical floods of late 2007 to 2012 summers.:shok:

A 1986 summer would not be a shock to the system after those late 00`s period sodden fields after 2007.

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