England and Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Summary: A changeable month. Very warm with sunny spells, broken by thundery outbreaks.
Diary of Highlights:
1st to 3rd
A depression in the North Sea brought a cool unsettled spell, with rain and thundery showers in many places, and some general rain in the NE on the 3rd.
4th to 11th
The weather became mostly dry with rising temperatures as the low pressure moved to Scandinavia and high pressure settled close by to the south. Some rural areas had a few mist or fog patches on occasions around dawn.
Atlantic fronts skirting northern districts on the 8th gave some rain and drizzle there.
Most days saw long sunny periods and very warm or hot conditions, were experienced in many parts during the 9th and 10th. A weak cold front passing later on the 10th introduced fresher air by the 11th.
12th to 15th
With high pressure over Scandinavia, sunny, dry, hot weather soon returned as air was drawn off the continent. Local mist and fog patches cleared quickly but thundery rain intruded into the SW at times later.
Wisley in Surrey reached 33.6°C on the 15th while Maidenhead had its hottest July day since 1976.
16th to 20th
More unsettled as Atlantic depressions encroached but it stayed mostly very warm or hot at first.
There was widespread thundery rain, heavy at times during the 16th and 17th, as a low moved NE across the region, st Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan had over 50mm in 12hrs on the 17th.
W areas had more rain at times on the 18th, 19th and 20th, while E areas were relatively sunnier and drier. Residual hot air over the SE and East Anglia on the 19th gave way that evening as thunderstorms broke out, some lasting to the early hours.
21st to 23rd
A breezy spell with sunny periods and some scattered showers mostly in the W and N.
24th to 26th
Atlantic depressions to the NW brought an unsettled spell with rain bands depositing copious amounts in places, especially over SW England, Wales and the Midlands.
Cardinham in Cornwall received 58mm in 12hrs ending 0900GMT on the 25th, thunder was reported from Lyneham in Wiltshire during the 26th.
27th to 31st
After some thunderstorms in the SE and East Anglia early on 27th, further rain and showers and cooler temperatures affected many places.
A small low moved eastwards over N England during the 30th bringing heavy thundery showers to NW England and Eastern England down to East Anglia, with tornadoes reported from Sculthorpe in Norfolk. As the month closed more rain moved into W and NW areas.
Statistical details
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| England and Wales Mean Temperature Series (series began in 1961). |
The mean value for the month was 17.0°C. |
1.6°C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well above average category. Warmest since 1999, when 17.1°C was recorded. |
| England and Wales Rainfall Series (series began in 1961). |
The total for the month was 71.6mm. |
115% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the close to average category. |
| England and Wales Sunshine Series (series began in 1961). |
The total for the month was 177.1 hours per day |
97% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the close to average category. |
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The period 1961 to 1990 is the current World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) period for taking climate statistics.
