June does not often live up to its ‘flaming’ epithet, but last month turned out to be warmer, drier and sunnier than average in most parts of the UK. High pressure dominated the first half of the month which was therefore particularly dry and sunny, and although the second half was rather more changeable there were two further short warm spells.
June’s Central England Temperature which takes into account both afternoon maxima and night-time minima was 16.2C, which is 2.1 degC above the average for the reference period 1971-2000. By this measure it was roughly on a par with June 2003, but there has been none significantly warmer since the famous summer of 1976. During the last 100 years only the Junes of 1976, 1970 and 1940 were warmer.
The highest individual temperature recorded under standard conditions was 31.4C at Heathrow airport on the 12th, and highs above 28C were also widely recorded on the 10th, 11th, 17th and 30th. There were also some cooler episodes especially during the first and last weeks when frost was reported locally in Scotland, and the month’s coldest night was that of 25th/26th when the mercury slumped to –1.7C at Kinbrace in Sutherland.
It was a very dry June practically everywhere in the UK; locally in Northern Ireland, Wales and the West Country there was no measurable rain at all during the first half of the month. Averaged over England and Wales the total rainfall was 24.9mm, representing barely 35 per cent of the long-term average, making it the driest June nationally since 1976. The equivalent figure for Scotland was 72 per cent, and for Northern Ireland 57 per cent.
Heavy individual falls were rare, but there were some notable storms in Devon and Cornwall on the 26th, one of which led to serious flooding in Penzance where 82mm fell in 24 hours. The intensity of the Penzance downpour might not have been become apparent had it not been for the assiduity and reliability of a local amateur observer, for the town’s weather station was closed down three years ago.
Sunshine averaged nationally totalled 250.9 hours, some 32 per cent above normal, and the most in June since 1996. There were some very large totals along the English Channel coast where Shanklin logged an aggregate of 322 hours and Eastbourne one of 317 hours.
© Philip Eden