reef

How about we just discuss the weather? Its a weather-enthusiast forum after all. There's lots of interesting weather with varying levels of danger. The rules also state any form of weather guilt-tripping isn't allowed.

January 1996 was the dullest month I've ever recorded too. We had just 15 hours that month and it came after only 38 hours in the December. March 1996 was also poor that year with just 46 hours. The January and March were two of only five months in 43 years with less 50% of average sunshine here. December 2002 was another of the five with 21 hours. More recently July and August 2020 were exceptionally dull with just 97 and 132 hours each. That's only 18 hours more than January and February 2022 combined.

Interestingly, its heading towards a sunnier than average year here for us, despite the amounts in July. In fact, every month other than July has had 95% sunshine or more. Current total for us to 18th September is 1429 hours. Normally by this point we'd expect 1307 hours, so we're on 109% as it stands. The annual 1991-2020 average is 1599 hours. If we have exactly average sunshine from now until new year we'd finish as the 6th sunniest year since 1980.

The vernal equinox is the Spring equinox. Vernal means "new" or "fresh". It's actually the Autumnal equinox that's coming up.

The main reason I suspect is because the increases between the averages are outside of the summer months. At Exeter airport, the annual increase of 93 hours between the 1961-1990 and 1991-2020 averages are exclusively in Winter, Spring and Autumn which all increase by 25-35 hours each. Summer only saw a 3 hours increase. We've become sunnier in the less sunny months it seems.

Living in the UK you just cant picture extremes like this. Imagine getting over a meter of snow and then a few days later hitting 40C+. It blows the mind!

Winter has seen quite a few, especially December. Both January 2022 and 2023 were above 170% of normal sunshine in Leeds for example. Here, they were the only Januarys in the entire record to have above 100 hours of sunshine. I think the issue is sunshine hours are so low in those months that it doesn't always feel that sunny. Spring you're definitely correct on though.

The trend has been gradually upwards. Each new 30 year average has shown an increase on the last. Exeter airport for example, had an annual average of 1468 hours on the 1961-1990 average, 1482 hours on 1971-2000, 1513 hours on 1981-2010 and now 1561 hours on the 1991-2020 mean. The 2001-2030 will most likely show another increase. There's always years where some areas are dull and others not, but we haven't actually had a nationwide dull year since 2012 now. 2022 was widely the sunniest on record in some places too.

That would be quite something as the warmest November is 9.9C!

We're still getting frequent lightning to the north but there's nothing on the radar. Very odd indeed.

Yep, that's the one. It passed right overhead. Its weird as its constant lightning but barely any thunder.

Wow, probably the best storm in years here just now. Constant lightning. Just missed out on the heaviest of the rain, but it hasnt done much to reduce the temperature. Its still 22.0C.

The radar has just picked up a cell over Scunthorpe which is heading up this way. Hopefully the wind stays SW and doesn't switch to the east and kill it off before it gets here as usual.

A new record for us too. We hit a max temp of 30.0C which is 2.3C above the previous record set in 2016. Its also the 12th warmest day in 43 years. Only 1 June day and 4 August days have been warmer. Currently 29.6C and 51% humidity. Sunny for the moment, though convection can be seen to the south-west.

I'll eat mine if you fail to mention that you think it will be the mildest, most snowless ever at least one day before then.

I'm not too surprised. The heat has been there to the south all summer, its just the synoptics didn't allow it to be blown up this way. Odds were always that it would reach us at some point. It just show how potent it was when we're hitting temperatures like this in almost mid-September.

A mere 7m, but 7 miles from the coast which makes it extremely hard to hit 30C+ here.

Just hit 30.0C for the first time ever in September. 2.3C above the old record. Our joint 12th warmest day ever. Only 1 June day and 4 August days have been warmer in 43 years.

Its definitely more common even up here. We didn't hit 30C here between August 2001 and July 2018. However since then 6 days have managed it. Today is having a good go at being the 7th but just falling short at 29.8C so far.

There's isn't much more you can say is there! Ridiculous heat for September. Yesterday was 22.0C so thats five consecutive 20C+ days now. Another date record for the mean on the 8th aswell.

Up to 29.4C now, 1.7C above the old record set in 2016 and comfortably the warmest day of the year. Its actually the 20th warmest day I've ever recorded. Quite something for almost mid-September.

That's our 43 year September record gone. Just hit 27.9C beating the previous 27.7C set in 2016. The question is how much higher can it go?

That's a warm minimum TM even compared to here. Only one night in 43 years has beaten that in September for us (07/09/2016 min of 19.0C). Like yours it was well above the 2nd place min (17.6C). Here it was much cooler with a 24 hour min of 14.8C. Currently 25.9C with a dewpoint of 20.4C.

If it was like this for 6 months of the year, I think I'd move to Shetland. The temperature of 25.6C at the moment is fine, but the humidity is awful. 20.5C dewpoint is just horrid.

We dropped to 14.8C overnight but it hasn't stopped the temperature rising to 23.0C already. Looks like we're joining in today. The disgusting 19.8C dewpoint can do one though. Urgh.