Diary of Highlights

1st to 4th
The 1st was sunny with very warm southeast winds. Overnight thundery showers drifted north into southwest England. On the 2nd southwest England, the West Country, the Midlands and northwest England had torrential thundery downpours and large hail. Rochdale (Greater Manchester) logged 43.8 mm in the 12 hours to 2100 UTC. At Heathrow Airport the temperature reached 32.3 °C. The 3rd brought further thundery showers to southwest England, southwest Wales and Cumbria. St Bee's Head (Cumbria) recorded 18.6 mm in the hour ending 1900 UTC. The 4th brought locally heavy and thundery rain to southwest England and southwest Wales. Later in the day, thundery showers drifted north from Sussex into central England, with reports of local flooding and hail in Luton, Bedfordshire.

5th - 6th
On the 5th a band of heavy and thundery showers spread out of France eventually extending from southwest England to the Humber. Intense showers developed over Wales and the north Pennines in the afternoon. Overnight into the 6th parts of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire and Somerset had very heavy rain with 39 mm of rain falling at Brize Norton (Oxfordshire) in the hour to 0600 UTC and 54 mm in 12 hours ending 0900 UTC on the 6th. By afternoon heavy showers and thunder developed over eastern and central England with downpours in Lincolnshire.

7th - 12th
There was some rain on the 7th and 8th. Due to its persistence overnight, there were high rainfall totals over the hills of northern England. Shap (Cumbria) recorded 23.0 mm in the 24 hours to 0900 UTC on the 9th. Some rain spread across on the 10th, clearing southeast England early on the 11th to leave most places sunny and warm.

13th - 19th
The 13th started chilly with just 4.1 °C at Redesdale Camp (Northumberland). High pressure became established again over the UK on the 14th, lasting until the 18th. A dust devil was reported at Linton-on-Ouse (North Yorkshire) at 1100 UTC on the 14th. On the mornings of the 14th and 15th parts of northern England had a ground (grass) frost and on the morning of the 15th a ground frost was recorded as far south as Shawbury (Shropshire). Temperature values peaked on the 19th when 36.5 °C was recorded at Wisley (Surrey) and this set a new temperature record in the UK for July. A number of places broke their July temperature records, for example, Heathrow with 35.5 °C. The east and south coasts of England were kept cooler by onshore breezes with just 19.8 °C at Boulmer (Northumberland) on the 19th. Some rain clipped western fringes later on the 19th with thunder brushing the Isles of Scilly, east Kent and East Anglia in the evening.

20th - 22nd
There was some rain on the 20th. Thundery showers developed over parts of East Anglia in the afternoon and again the following evening. Thunderstorms across southern counties in the early hours of the 22nd gave downpours. Severe storms formed during the day from central Southern England into the Midlands and later northeast England, covering a vast area. Many places recorded over 25 mm of rain in a short period and Monks Wood (Cambridgeshire) logged 30.2 mm of rain in the hour to 1500 UTC. At Brize Norton (Oxfordshire) between 1200 and 1300 UTC the temperature fell from 25.4 to 17.2°C At Cranwell (Lincolnshire) a gust of 54 knots was recorded at 0900 UTC.

23rd - 28th
A weakening band of rain spread east on the 23rd. The 24th was hot and sunny for most. Some light rain over East Anglia and the southeast on the 25th cleared to leave plenty of sunshine. There were some thundery showers across the southern half of England overnight and across East Anglia and the southeast the next afternoon and evening, with hail in places and some very heavy rain over parts of Cambridgeshire. On the 27th there were further thunderstorms over southern England and in eastern counties as far north as Lincolnshire which gave very heavy rain in Surrey, flooding in Milton Keynes and contributed to a landslip on the London Underground towards Heathrow. Cranwell (Lincolnshire) recorded a gust of 60 knots. Throughout this period it was still very warm or hot with 34 °C in central London on the 26th.

29th - 31st
A band of rain spread slowly eastwards on the 29th but largely decayed before it reached eastern England late in the day. The high temperatures held on for another day in East Anglia with 29.6 °C at Weybourne (Norfolk). The 30th brought some showers to the southwest, Wales and the Midlands and on the 31st there were showers in many areas. A band of heavier rain developed from the Bristol Channel to the Wash and there was also some heavy rain over northern England. Statistical details

England and Wales Mean Temperature Series (series began in 1914).			The provisional mean value for the month is 19.0 °C			3.6 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in the exceptionally above average category. In fact it is the warmest month in the series - the previous warmest month was July 1983 with 18.6 °C.
England and Wales Rainfall Series (series began in 1914).			The provisional total for the month is 38.6 mm			61 % of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the below average category.
England and Wales Sunshine Series (series began in 1929).			The provisional total for the month is 297.5 hours,			163% of the 1961-1990 average, , which is in the exceptionally above average category.Sunniest month in series, previous sunniest month was June 1957 with 284.6 hours.