Diary of Highlights

1st to 8th
Generally sunny on the 1st except in eastern coastal parts, where low cloud and mist was persistent. Over the next week, the weather became more unsettled with showers becoming widespread and thundery.

On the 3rd, 42.4mm of rain was recorded at High Wycombe in an hour. It was very warm or hot and on the 7th and 8th and 31.5°C was recorded in central London and at Northolt respectively, while eastern coasts again had misty low cloud.

9th and 15th
The hot weather culminated in some warm, sultry night nights and at Marham, Norfolk a minimum of 21.9°C was recorded on the morning of the 9th, the warmest night there since at least 1957. Slow moving fronts and troughs gave an unsettled period during the second week, with prolonged heavy thundery rain or heavy thundery showers.

Wittering recorded 90.8mm in the 24 hours to 0900 on 10th, Kirklees 80.6mm, with 64.0mm falling in 12 hours, and Pembrey Sands (Carmarthenshire) had 44.2mm of rain in three hours ending 0200 on the 12th. The 14th was fine in most places but this was only a temporary respite as Atlantic fronts edging into southwestern parts on the 15th heralded another unsettled period.

16th to 17th
Rain pushed northeast overnight into the 16th followed by some torrential thundery downpours. On 16th there was devastation in Boscastle (north Cornwall) due to severe flooding and at nearby Otterham 200.4mm of rain fell in 24 hours.

Lesnewth near Boscastle had 64.8mm of rain in an hour. On the 17th the far west of Cornwall had heavy rain with 58mm in three hours at Camborne, 64.4mm in the twelve hours to 2100, and 31.6mm in an hour at Culdrose, 56.2mm to 2100.

18th to 29th
Low pressure dominated with temperatures generally close to average. Northern England had heavy rain overnight into the 20th. There were further thundery showers and at Bedford 41.8mm of rain was reported in the hour to 1700, with a twelve hour total of 55.2mm to 2100.

Northwest England bore the brunt of the heavy rain on the 25th with 41.6mm of rain recorded at Manchester Hulme. There were a few drier days notably the 25th and 28th while fronts cleared southeast during the 27th. West to northwest winds following in the wake of a low on the 28th brought a chilly feel.

30th to 31st
The 30th was rather cool in many places with fresh winds and there were some showers in the east. A ridge of high pressure on the 31st brought a fine day to most places to close the month.