Diary of Highlights

1st to 4th
Northern England and the north of East Anglia had heavy showers on the 1st with 23.6 mm of rain falling at Warcop Range (Cumbria) 09-21 UTC. Elsewhere over England and Wales the showers were well scattered. There was further rain on the 2nd over northern parts and this edged south through the day into central areas, with thunder in places. Eastern England was unseasonably cool and windy with just 15 °C recorded at Scarborough (North Yorkshire). Cromer (Norfolk) recorded 47.8 mm of rain in the 24 hours to 1600 UTC. Eastern parts remained cool on the 3rd while the west had sunny skies and eastern areas had sunshine on the 4th.

5th - 7th
A ridge of high pressure sank southeast on the 5th and 6th and then rain - initially over western and northern parts, spread south. A cold front brought some heavy rain overnight into the 7th to East Anglia and then to East Sussex and Kent in the morning and as temperatures lifted, thunderstorms developed here with flash flooding reported in Eastbourne (East Sussex) town centre. Pershore (Worcestershire) reached 29.7°C, the highest temperature for the month across England and Wales.

8th - 14th
The 8th started fine as another transient ridge of high pressure moved south across England and Wales, but rain spread to northern England during the afternoon and to Wales and the Midlands in the evening. Overnight rain cleared early on the 9th to leave most places fine. Showers developed through the 10th especially across eastern parts with thunder in places. Showers affected western and eastern fringes overnight into the 11th with further showers through the day especially for eastern counties from Yorkshire to Essex.

The 12th was cool in the east with just 12.2 °C at Fylingdales (North Yorkshire). There was heavy rain overnight in East Anglia. Thundery showers developed in a convergence line from Suffolk to Hampshire in the afternoon of the 13th, with torrential downpours in places. There was localised flooding surrounding Aldershot, Farnham and Bagshot areas where possibly as much as 100 mm of rain fell. Durham reached just 13.0 °C. Another band of rain spread down across eastern England overnight, clearing Kent by early afternoon on the 14th, while western parts had sunny spells.

15th - 19th
An Atlantic low centre and its associated fronts slipped south across Ireland to just off southwest England on the 16th. This brought some rain to western parts of England on the 15th and some heavy showers to Wales, the West Country and southwest England overnight. Culdrose (Cornwall) recorded 24 mm of rain in the 12 hours to 0900 UTC on the 16th. Showers developed on the 16th.and further bands of heavy and thundery showers moved into southern England overnight and through the 17th. A tornado was spotted near Leamington Spa (Warwickshire) and at Market Deeping (Lincolnshire).

There were further thundery downpours overnight which started on the south coast and spread north to Yorkshire to south Wales by dawn. Thundery showers developed over southern parts through the day while northern England and north Wales bore the brunt of the persistent thundery rain. Torquay (Devon) had 48.6 mm of rain in 24 hours. Southern parts had showers on the 19th, thundery in places and then later in the day rain over northern parts edged east clearing eastern counties by midnight.

20th - 21st
There were a few showers mainly in eastern parts on the 20th and across the south overnight. Overnight rain in northwest England spread to Lincolnshire. Some heavy and thundery showers developed over East Anglia, southeast England and other eastern counties through the 21st.

22nd - 24th
Many places were dry on the 22nd but between Suffolk and Northumberland there were some fog patches to start the day. Atlantic fronts over western parts on the 22nd edged east becoming slow moving across eastern areas on the 24th. There was some heavy rain, hail, thunder and gusty winds on the 23rd as the cold front of the system also moved east. There were hourly reports of 10 to 20 mm of rain in places and this rain continued overnight over East Anglia and the southeast and for a good part of the 24th in east Kent, Essex and Suffolk. Bognor Regis (West Sussex) logged 47.3 mm of rain in the over 24 hours.

25th - 29th
Rain spread into western parts on the 25th with a more showery day on the 26th. There was heavier rain again over northwest England and north Wales on the 27th with thunder for northwestern parts. This rain spread east in the early hours of the 28th. Blustery northwest winds and showers followed with thunder in places later and through the 29th.

29th - 31st
After a bright start on the 30th, thicker cloud and some patchy rain spread east through the afternoon and evening. There was some significant rain over northwest Wales and northwest England with 63 mm at Capel Curig (Gwynedd) over 24 hours to 2100 GMT on the 31st. Statistical details

England and Wales Mean Temperature Series (series began in 1914).			The provisional mean value for the month is 15.8 °C			0.6 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in the above average category.
England and Wales Rainfall Series (series began in 1914).			The provisional total for the month is 89.6 mm			117 % of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the close to average category.
England and Wales Sunshine Series (series began in 1929).			The provisional total for the month is 154.1 hours,			90% of the 1961-1990 average, , which is in the below average category.