Milhouse

Surely the advantage of long daylight hours is that you have the option to stay inside or go outdoors, you have a choice. When its dark you can only stay inside. At the moment the amount of daylight in the evening is still at a respectable level so i can at least make the most of the evenings i have off work to do stuff after tea. There is still useable daylight until about 8.30pm, and although its decreasing rapidly i will still be happy when i can be outside until 7.30pm. After that i have to admit defeat and face the realization that the long dark nights are round the corner. I find the days seem so much longer in Summer due to the long daylight hours. When i'm not at work i have from when i get up to when i go to bed to do what ever i want, whether its indoors or outdoors so i not a day goes by in summer when i dont do something worthwhile with my time e.g playing cricket or going cycling. However In winter i find sunset signals the end of the day, just 6/7 hours after it started so i always get bored on the long dark evenings between 4 and 10pm and struggle to find ways to occupy my time. Thankfully i work 4 evenings in the week so it doesnt bother me as much as it could.

14.8c

Even if we do end up with a final figure of 15.5c it would still give a Summer CET of 0.3 above average and the warmest for 4 years.

Well done Nick!!

I think my 16.6c is at the uppermost limit of where it could end up. Thats providing it stays reasonably warm until the end of the month and the cooler weather keeps getting pushed back.

If it did turn out to be a dull month then it would be strange as i'm sure here we've already had more sunshine this August than the whole of July. The weekend just gone was mostly sunny, albeit a bit hazy.

If i was to make a prediction now i'd say we'll finish average or just below.

I can relate to that as well. I always keep an eye out in March for the faintest sign of green in the hedgerows or the first daffodill to open as its always a sign that Spring is on its way. Even in December i get a warm and comforting feeling seeing the snowdrops emerging, and hoping that they flower as early as possible in mid January, weather permitting.

I like spring for the emerging growth, rising temperatures and lengthening days but for me the drawback is that until mid April its not warm enough, which is why late Spring and early Summer is my favourite time of year. The countryside still has that fresh, lush look to it and its around that time of year when we get the first really warm days.

My favourite part of the year is from May through to July, hence why summer is my favourite season by a mile. My ideal weather in Summer would be 22-24c, a light breeze and sunny spells and of course a long mild evening so i can be outside comfortably until sunset. I will admit to spending a large part of the year, usually between November and March, counting down the days until summer and the return of weather that allows you to get outside again. Yes, Winter for me is sometimes that painful. I also see summer as a very healthy time of year where you are able to go for walks, cycling or take part in sports without the weather getting in the way. Which is why this summer has been so good here. A prolonged heatwave like 2003 would have been the icing on the cake but maybe next year. Next comes Spring as for me it signals rebirth of the countryside after the long dark winter and everything starts growing again. The gradually lenghening daylight hours are great as i find i can fit much more into the evening than in Winter. Early Spring can be frustrating as it can often take a while to get going which is why i would despise a repeat of 1996 where Spring only got going in April, and then stalled once we got into May. Early warm spells in March are always welcome as there is something special about the first day of the winter where the breeze has some added warmth. Winter doesnt facinate me as much as it does some. I like snow and really enjoyed last year around new year, but last February really is a great example of why i generally dislike winter. Endless days between 4-6c and slate grey skies leaving everywhere dirty and mucky as theres so sun to dry things out. Winter is a very unhealthy time of year too where many means of excercies cease to become enjoyable hence why people often put on weight during the winter months as there nothing much else to do other than sit inside eating and watching TV. Cycling in anything under 10c is not pleasant and jogging with ice on the road isnt nice either. I would like a sunny and mild winter this year so it isnt quite as unpleasant being outside. A spell of severe cold and snow in December/New Year would be welcome before i turn my attention to Spring. Autumn is my least favourite as basically its the lead up to Winter and its the time of year when you've got to wait the longest till summer. September can be pleasant with the early mist burning off to leave a day of sunshine and warmth but by mid October all hope of some pleasant warmth has gone so its all downhill from there.

As last September showed you can still get warm and sunny weather right until the end of the month. The period around the middle of the month was fantastic IMO. 24C on the 12th with sunshine from dawn till dusk. Thereafter it was cooler with temperatures in the mid to high teens but with very light winds it still felt warm.

August may well end up disappointingly cool and wet but the best weather of the summer so far was where it should be. In late May, June and July. Warmth is so much more appreciated when the days are long and the countryside is full with colour and vibrancy. When the fields are being ploughed and the hedgerows turn a dull green colour i dont mind the rain as much. Still hoping for a lovely September like last year though.

Saturdays too have been very decent here. I've had a cricket match every Saturday since mid April and were yet to have one rained off.

This summer still gets an 8 from me. The sun has come out in the past few days and its remained warm, reaching 25c on Monday.

An autumn like last year would suite me. Nice and pleasant with the first heavy rain not arriving until very late. The only thing it lacked was some proper warmth early on such as 1999 or 2003. Hopefully we get that this year. An average winter would suit me very nicely. Ideally it should have a mixture of mild, windy and occasionally wet weather and periods of dry, cold and occassionally snowy conditions. If last February had been a repeat of Feb 1998 it would have been a perfect winter with a bit of everything. However, i look for dry and usable weather whatever the season so i'm probably the only one on here who would take a mild and dry winter.

The 06z is showing some fairly high daytime temperatures for Sunday and Monday in the south. If so then it could be just enough to prevent further falls before it turns cooler next week.

According to weather online 21c hasnt been achieved in Liverpool since the 19th July which is extremely poor for mid summer.

Fairly cloudy but warm, 19.8c

But the whole summer isnt judged on the past 2 weeks. The south west had a very warm June, as did the Midlands and southeastern England. I get the impression you like to believe the midlands is alot further north than it actually is just so you can distance yourself from the warmth.

Well the proper heat may have deserted us in the second half of the month but to maintain a CET in the low 17s until the end of the month shows how consistently warm its been. Remember last year when the CET was still falling right until the last day ending up on 16.1c.

Sunshine has been very limited, especially in the second half of July but i certainly dont agree with the critisism of July by some on here. I have very rarely had to abandon outdoor plans because of rain, which happened so much in the past 3 summers. Temperatures have consistently been in the low 20s so its been pleasantly warm and i am very satisfied with the hot weather we had early in the summer and i wouldnt be devastated if we didnt get any more. People who say that its been the worst July ever must have very short memories indeed.

Mostly cloudy but its still quite pleasant and warm. 21.4c

I apologise if i'm making anyone jealous but for the most part its been a beautiful day today. The past few hours have been a bit gloomy with even some drizzle but today is the exact reason why i love summer. Driving along with the windows down, feeling the warm breeze wafting through is just bliss. Everyone out and about seem to be in a much more positive mood when the weathers so nice. People sat eating outside, lounging around in the park, just generally relaxing. Its been great so far this summer the amount to times i've been able to just decide to go and play tennis or go cycling without having to worry if its going to rain. Thats why i'm not getting as downhearted as some about the prospects for the coming week as for the most part its looking dry and pleasantly warm. I'm not really craving the return of the heat either as we've had so much more than i was expecting, but it would be nice.

Another very mild night in the CET zone tonight with mins between 15c and 18c, with much the same for Monday night. With days running out i'm confident that will secure us at least 17c come the end of the month.

16.6c