June 2001 - England and Wales

Summary: This has been the driest June since 1996.

Diary of Highlights:

June 2001
A dry sunny month especially in the south. Wet in NE England and NE East Anglia. A cool first half with some thunderstorms followed by a wet thundery spell mid month. A heat wave during the last week ended with an outbreak of scattered thunderstorms.

1st - 4th
After some outbreaks of rain or showers on the 1st and 2nd a dry two days followed with good sunny periods, although it was often on the cool side.

5th - 10th
With low pressure close by to the north or northeast a rather unsettled rather wet period ensued. On the 5th heavy thunderstorms in the West Country gave two inches of rain at Newquay (Cornwall). After some scattered showers on the 6 th, heavy thundery rain affected a number of places particularly in the north and east coast counties down to the Wash. Temperatures were in the cool category, though with good sunny periods especially in the south. A funnel cloud was seen off the Cornish coast and near Shoreham (West Sussex) on the 8th. Redhill (Surrey) recorded minus 1.8°C early on the 9th a near record for the SE region.

11th - 13th
Rather cool, mostly cloudy few days and generally dry, apart from some isolated light showers.

14th - 16th
A mainly cool, very wet spell occurred as a depression in the SW approaches took up residence over southern England. Rain and showers often heavy and thundery broke out in many places.

17th - 20th
After showers cleared from the east coast, a drier regime prevailed, but with some patchy rain in the north. The south became very warm with good sunny periods and Herne Bay reached 27°C on the 20th.

21st - 26th
Virtually dry as high pressure sat close by giving long sunny periods in most parts. During the 24th to the 26th it became hot in many areas especially the south. Thundery rain affected north Wales early on the 26th and NE England later that day, as falling pressure heralded an end to the heatwave. Some thunderstorms also touched East Sussex and Kent in the evening. At Barbourne near Worcester a high of 32.6°C was reached that day, the highest for the UK so far this year.

27th - 30th
After some thunderstorms moved away from east coast counties and East Anglia early on the 27th , a relatively cooler, fresher and more changeable weather pattern became established. Sunny spells alternated with occasional outbreaks of rain or showers, some of these were thundery over the Midlands and Eastern England later on the 29 th.

Statistical details

Central England Temperature (series begins in 1659).	14.4 °C mean value - Previously 2000/15.1, 1999/13.9, 1998/14.2 1997/14.1°C.	0.2C above norm of 14.2°C (near normal category)
England and Wales Rainfall (series begins in 1766).	42 mm Previously 2000/43 1999/89, 1998/120 1997/131 1996/30mm.	65% of average (dry category)
England and Wales Sunshine (series begins in 1909).	mean value 6.93 hrs per day Previously 2000/5.89, 1999/7.00, 1998/8.10, hpd	111% ofaverage (rather sunny category)

(please note, the average figures are taken from the period 1961-1990)