What did you think of Summer 2018?

[BlueHedgehog074]

Greetings!

How do you feel Summer went for you?

With August gone and September breaking through, it’s time to say farewell to Summer 2018 .... (although Summery weather in September is still possible). Still felt worth starting this up since the main part of Summer is no more. 

What constitutes as a great Summer for one person could be different from someone else. For example, one person may prefer a Summer to be wet most of the time, while another may see a Summer with lots of sunshine and the odd few thunderstorms as being a Summer of their dreams! Either way, it’s subjective. And the same could apply for whether someone likes a Summer hot, or cool! Generally, though, think for most a Summer is good if it’s warm and has lots of sunny and useable weather!

For me, this is how Summer went:

June - Quite a settled month overall. My memory of the month isn’t brilliant, but do know it wasn’t that wet and the second half of the month particularly, was very dry with hardly a drop of rain. Some of the days at the end seemed to have a good amount of sunny spells, but the grass was starting to go dry and brittle. It was very warm in some instances, but think most of that was towards the end of the month. There was also the odd bit of thundery weather around, with one night (I think) with some rumbles and flashes! 

Rating out of 10:

 

July - Best month of the Summer! Rain was almost non-existent with the odd bit of drizzle and just the odd spell or two of heavier rain and showers towards the end of the month. High Pressure constantly in control with a Northerly tracking Jetstream. The heat did feel relentless at times, though, with temperatures getting around the 30*C mark on a number of occasions. Some wall to wall sunshine on a few days too! Very nice! 

 

Admittedly, the plants and grass did suffer. Grass going very brown and yellow everywhere. Don’t think I’ve known it to be that dry before. Thunderstorms were lacking and did let the month down slightly. As a July, been one of the best ones I’ve experienced - probably beating July 2006.

Rating out of 10:

 

August - the party pooper of Summer 2018. A mixed month with the Atlantic mostly in control, although it was a slight improvement on last year here. And even last year was a little improvement on the year before (I think from what I remember). There were some reasonable dry and bright periods and it was by no means a terrible month (I appreciate for North-Western areas, it was probably more of a stinker!). Ground was still dry in places. Quite far from being a washout here, but despite some bright and dry spells, it seemed to also be a fairly cloudy month. And quite a fair bit cooler than July with some windy days. In some ways, the cooler weather was a welcome relief from all the heat in July, though would have loved for the month to have been a touch warmer. The temperatures were still just about comfortable enough to get away with not having to wear a jumper too often. 

 

The last week of August was probably the most disturbed with some rain and showers on numerous days. The odd thundery shower here and there too! However the last two days made up for it a bit with some spells of warmish sunshine. And it at least meant Summer finished with a reasonable bang! ? 

Rating out of 10:

 

Overall a lovely Summer; mostly very warm, dry, and with some good sunny spells. Just let down a bit by the fairly average August, although it did offer some reasonable variety. Thundery weather could have been better and July would have got top marks had there been a proper thunderstorm here that month. A Summer close, if not, on par with 2006. ?

(PS: if the text comes out big, it’s probably because of copying and pasting this from the Notes app)

[Leo97t]

Very similar summer to 2006. Met have confirmed a new max for the summer as well of 35.6 at felsham on the 27th July

[sundog]

Glad it's over, first half in particular I just found too warm =annoying. Sweaty, warm, thanks but no thanks.

Bring on autumn

[MP-R]

Missing the 'very good' option. Would've been an excellent summer if August had behaved and perhaps one or two thunderstorms.

If May-July had fallen across June-August it would've been a classic, despite May's unsettled interludes. 

Hey ho though. Still a very good summer overall which I'd give 8/10.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

good Summer, especially 2-15 July, very summery Wimbledon, westerlies normally arrive after Wimbledon, 

average westerly August

[J10]

If Summer could be defined as May - July it would be classified as best one over, as May was a lovely summer month, Largely dry and warm with plenty of sunshine.

but using the June - August criteria. My rating is terrific. June, July and early August were stunning, predominately Sunny, very warm and very dry. 

However after the first week in August a rather disappointing spell, often fairly cool with limited sunshine, with some rain at times. Not a washout by any means, and not the worst summer month end but yet another disappointing August. 

 

Edited September 1, 2018 by J10

[philglossop]

It was a steady good summer rather than special here on reflection. If August had been better then my predictions for a summer 1995 re-enactment would have come true, as June and July felt like that summer.

Highest temp we got was 29c but the period of very warm nights got weary towards the end. 

[Weather-history]

Best summer since 1995 but best May-July period I can recall, better than May-July 1989,  the closest that comes to it. 

Thunderstorm wise however, it was one of the worst summers ever. Only one day with distant thunder.

[Froze were the Days]

Up until the first week of August here in the south east I'd say the summer would be definitely in the top 2 in the record books, but there has been a similarity with 1976 (here anyway) both June/July great though June not as hot as the one in 76' and August the most disappointing month again similar to 1976 with the last 3 weeks or so somewhat mixed/cloudy at times with temperatures nearer normal after the very warm first week. Agree with above post May-July unequalled in my opinion.

Here in the south east might just make it into the top 3 or 4 since records began...not sure where I can check for regions, MetO maybe?

Highest temp: 32.1c

Edited September 1, 2018 by Froze were the Days

[The PIT]

Would have been the warmest ever bar the last 9 days which brought things down a lot. So it sneaked into 2nd place just behind 1995 and in front of 76

A strange summer following a perfect may. June only saw six very hot days night time temperatures fairly constant without any hot sticky nights. July was hot by day but again over all the night time temperatures weren't bad with only three days above 60f. August a hot start then back to pleasant low seventies then a very cool with some cold nights thrown in to end the month. The summer was the 4th driest here yet only in the last two weeks have the plants really started showing stress. Okay the lawn went brown but the rest of the garden was happy enough. Ponds needed topping up a lot but not so much now. I guess the dry conditions also helped keep the nighttime temps down as the ground was dry so quickly lost the heat.

 

[CheesepuffScott]

One of the best I can remember, dominated by warmth and sunshine, despite the more average August away from the first few days. Keep in mind, we had a great May too.

[simshady]

Sprout option.

[Walsall Wood Snow]

Overall I would call it a very good Summer. Even though August wasn't that great, May more than made up for it, so we still ended up with a 3 month period of warm to hot temperatures and above average sunshine. It often feels pretty much like Summer by May anyway, because of the long days and short nights, just as it really starts to feel like Winter by November for opposite reasons. It still feels like Summer now actually, despite been the first day of meteorological Autumn. So as far as the extended Summer season is concerned, Summer 2018 might still have a bit more to give yet. 

[Earthshine]

Does anyone know what the mean UK temperature was this summer? (Not CET).

[lassie23]

It was very summery

[Wildswimmer Pete]

Not as good as 1976 especially with that cloudfest of August we've just had to endure.  Before anyone bangs on about August sunshine totals I'm referring to my waking hours - I usually rise sometime between 8-9am.

[johnholmes]

55 minutes ago, gbrunner12 said:

Does anyone know what the mean UK temperature was this summer? (Not CET).

go to the Met O web page it will be shown there along with lots of other data

[Mokidugway]

As lass says , my summary  of summer is good .

[Sunny76]

A very good summer, and my personal favourite since 2006, 2003, but I would rate it against the summers of 1995, 90, and 1989 for long sunny hot spells.

Definately the best summer of the 2010s and surpasses 2013, because May and June were warm to hot at times, whereas summer 2013 didn’t really get going until mid June, but had a hot July and warmish sunny August in the London area.

The only letdown was the coolish and cloudy August, after what started off as the best August hot spell for many years, yet deteriorated after the 7th of August, and never returned to the dizzy heights of 25 plus days. A welcome relief from the heat, which I even found relentless at times in July, but we lost the sunshine in August, so that’s my only gripe.

London didn’t do too badly for thunderstorms, as we had a severe one on May 26th(Saturday night I think?), which seemed to go on for an hour or so, with constant lightning and loud thunder accompanied by torrential rain.

More early evening storms on the following bank holiday and a day of storms followed on the Tuesday that week. This was in the London area though. We also had another brief storm on a Friday sometime in July, but I can’t remember the date. However, I was hoping we would have another thundery spell in August, and that was another letdown.

Apart from a slightly disappointing August, Summer 2018 was definately one of the best, and followed one of the best snowy winter spells in London earlier in the year.

Edited September 1, 2018 by Sunny76

[Thundery wintry showers]

June and July 2018 had much in common with 1976 and 1995 here in south-east Devon, with dry but relatively cloudy weather until 20 June and then a fortnight of hot (but not as hot as 1976) and exceptionally sunny weather starting on 21 June, so coincidentally our summer really got going on the same date as in 1976 and 1995.  The last two-thirds of July also had a similar pattern to those of 1976 and 1995 with frequent southerly winds rather than persistent high pressure, although unlike in 1995 the region missed out on the thunderstorms in mid to late July (my parents had a few spectacular ones up in North Yorkshire, but in Exeter we had nowt). 

August was a big downer.  Not so much because it was more unsettled, but mainly because of how frequently overcast it was, with rain at times but very little convective activity and no thunder - Devon and Cornwall saw a rather greater shortage of sunshine than in many other parts of the UK this month. 

Thus for me this summer ranks alongside those of 2003 and 2006, scoring roughly 7.5/10, but not up there with those of 1989, 1995 and 1996.  (In 2003 July let the side down a bit, and in 2006 it was the August).  It would of course have shattered a lot of temperature and sunshine records had the synoptics been shifted a month later, because May was another very warm and sunny month, also with a big thunderstorm in the last week which I missed because I had a holiday in Norwich and North Yorkshire.

 

Edited September 1, 2018 by Thundery wintry showers

[Nick L]

Thankfully we avoided too much in the way of serious heat. But this summer was utter garbage for storms.

[The PIT]

Just now, Nick L said:

Thankfully we avoided too much in the way of serious heat. But this summer was utter garbage for storms.

yeah a complete zero here storm wise. Had a few Thundery showers which produced very little.

[Snowyowl9]

A summer that was very similar to 1976 until the second week of august no meltingly hot and humid temps like 2006 and 1990.

Its only turned out to be the 5th warmest summer on the CET zone august was much cooler and the rain came when it was needed.

Great comfortable year for making hay while the sun shines,thunder a couple of days in early june and 1 day day in july a thunderstorm close by,not a dead loss for that.

 

Edited September 1, 2018 by Snowyowl9

[Harry233]

A fantastic summer up in Perth, Scotland, better than 2013 but not as good as 2006, 1995. Not calculated my statistics yet but I suspect it will be the warmest since 2006 driest since 2013 and sunniest since 1995.

June was very warm, quite dry and very sunny. it started settled aside from the 1st which had a very heavy thunderstorm and brought 70% of the whole months rainfall. The first 10 days were pleasantly warm without being exceptional maximums between 19.C-25.C and the nights were rather chilly and sunshine was plentiful making it feel very nice without the real heat. During the period 11th-21st it was rather unsettled and quite cool at points with some windy days and some rain intercepted by some sunny spells. From the 21st onwards it was almost consistently unbroken sunshine and hot. I recorded a high of 31.0.C on the 28th which made it my hottest June day on record since I began recording in 1994 and my fourth hottest day on record. A 9/10 for me

 

July was another very good month with lots of sunshine, dry weather and very warm days although unlike June there was a few rather muggy nights. The real lack of cool weather was noticeable there wasnt a maximum lower than 17.8.C and there was only 7 days when the maximum failed to reach at least 21.C. Aside from the final few days and a brief spell midmonth it was consistently sunny, very warm and dry with little wind but as I said there was a lot of muggy nights a 8/10 for me. 

 

August was more unsettled and much cooler though not a bad month, there was some warm days in the second week and plenty of dry weather in the first half and it seemed reasonably sunny. Although towards the end there was some exceptionally cool nights a minimum of 3.8.C on the 25th made it my coldest August night on record and the maximum of 12.6.C on the 26th was also the lowest since 2008. A 7/10.

 

overall I’d rate summer 2018 as a 9/10 a very good summer after such a long period of cold weather. Hoping September can bring a few more hot days before some cool weather towards the end.

[damianslaw]

A very good summer but let down by a rather poor August. On a par with 2006 in this respect. 1995 still the summer to beat here in the Lake District, despite the cool first half to June.