SummerShower

If its going to stay unsettled, then we need the low to move to the sw to bring in something a bit warmer. That way, the risk of thunderstorms will start to increase at this time of year. That will make things a lot more interesting.

In Absence of True Seasons I am generally a happy, everything's sunny, naive type person but I agree this spring has been so bad its beginning to get to me too in some ways and I think it's the light levels tbh. Never have I known such a period devoid of sunshine and was happy to take what sun we had at the weekend despite it coming with only 11C. This month up to now is reminding me of May 2022 which was anomalous for its warmth but with an actual lack of warm weather if that makes sense.. the daytime maxima have not warranted such a high CET. that had a northerly at the end too. Is it too naive to think we'll have the summer to follow

I remember this day, it was very hot and sunny though we did miss the storms here. It was actually a memorable 10-11 day spell of weather generally, from the 17th to the 28th. It was a 3-section rinse and repeat (17th-19th, 20th-24th, 26th-28th) whereby it would heat up, go bang, cool down and then go again. It reminded me fondly of summer 1994 which was renowned for this type of scenario. We just don't seem to get this anymore.

I will say that today has definitely 'felt' colder than any day since about January 19th, even if the temperature has been roughly similar to the lowest maximum since then.

Not a bad summer at all I'd say. By no means a 'good' one though either. This is how I remember the summer: June started off with a very warm weekend then was changeable for the rest of the month, there was a short fine spell around d 25/26th and Eastern areas had a hot day on the 17th iirc. It wasn't overly wet, just non descript. June 2000 and 2008 was similar to it. July was poor until around the 12th and as you say it was the worst part of the summer and wouldn't have been out of place in July's of 2007 or 2023. It quickly flipped around the weekend of the 13th and I remember many warm days and the heatwave at the end. Many areas got great storms iirc around the 29th/30th, although we missed out here. August wasn't unlike 2004 in many respects. The month started off warm, and thundery with flooding rains in some areas. The mid part was quite hot and sunny then the rest of the month was fair and mainly dry but not that hot. I think there may be 2 reasons why the summer gets a worse rap than it deserves. The first is simply many summers around this point were pretty good (bar 2000, which is probably on a par with this one). The second I suspect is the heat that did occur was quite often east-uk based. I think the west missed out on most of the heat and was notably cloudy when the 30C days hit the east. People loving in the west may therefore have a worse perception of it.

Wasn't expecting this wind today. Must be 60mph+ even inland. On a par with Henk and Isha back in January I'd say.

What an absolute garbage afternoon. Good to see a bit of sun this morning though, as I wasn't expecting that, for the walk to work.

Up until about 21st January this year I was thinking 'ah, the weather has been really interesting so far this year'. We'd had a bit of snow, 2 named storms, an interesting rain event on the 4th and nice crisp, sunny 2 weeks. Could this possibly have been the year you'd want to see repeated? No.

I'd agree this was definitely the best part of the summer, alongside 1-12 June. I do however remember a week of pretty naff weather between about 14th and 21st August though, with Saturday 18th being very wet and windy (but this might have been confined to the south/southeast?)

Ah yes that month was great! That spell from the 7th to the 15th was just glorious, with hairdryer easterly winds from the 10th to 14th. On the 11th and 12th I saw no cloud anywhere, not even the faintest whisp of cirrus or the tiniest of rising thermals about to become cumulus. Ive only seen 1 day before like that to memory (with aboslutely no cloud from start to finish).. 26th may 2012. We got a weak thinderstorm from the breakdown on the 15th with further thunder the next day. The only thing that would have made the heatwave better.. more castellanus during the breakdown, and maybe more widespread storms?. Other than that a 10/10 heatwave. Even after this the rest of the month was consistently sunny and warm (not hot) though the morning of the 25th was very wet which meant the month wasn't up there with one of the driest here. That was just as well as we didn't have any measurable rain in the July locally.

baddie an extension of winter. Colder marches and April's tend to be sunny at least, with polar maritime airmasses. If someone said I'd have to take March 2013 and April 2021 for example, over March 2023 and April 2012 I'd take the former no issues!

SunSean and for that to occur over a weekend as well.. Let's hope this is the trend this year, unlike a period last year where weekends seemed to fair much worse

CryoraptorA303 re January 2024. The more i think about it, it actually was quite a good/ interesting month weatherwise. The 2 week colder and sunny/ frosty spell was bookended by 2 named storms (2nd/21st) that were quite potent here. The band of rain on the 4th was akin to a more summer like event - with much of it being torrential, the heaviest frontal rain I've ever seen in winter. So not all this winter was bad. I am a 'see the positive in everything' type person though, and also acknowledge December and February were pants, with no real redeeming features (apart from Dec 1-2 and perhaps the 27th).

In Absence of True Seasons yes I'd take an April 2021 too. The month was actually drier here than April 2020 and I think only 3rd to the Aprils of 2007 and 2011 in recent times. I wouldnt mind betting the sunshine figures werent far off 2020 either (i dont have acess to sunshine records so just a gut feeling). There was a bit of wintriness in the 1st half to add interest, and the 2nd half was actually really good during the days once the almost daily frost had lifted. if we were to have a 'colder' type april then id take this one anyday over 2012, for example.

Massive hail shower just moving through here. I kid you not there are some sleetflakes within it as well.

8 inches, on 2 occasions here. 6th January 2010 and 1st February 2019.

Of recent years March 2014 to February 2015 not a bad shout

Wouldn't it be good if February March and April ALL had the same CET? Let's go 7.8 with 83mm. Settled and unsettled periods alternating.

Andy Bown funny you say that as I'm sat out for the 1st time this year and actually sweating a bit even though its only 14 or 15, and hazy rather than full on sun. Perhaps it's where the surroundings are just so wet.

In all honesty this February and March combined has got to be the dullest on record. At least when we had an equally dull March last year, February wasn't too bad.

Sun Chaser yes June 2017 was a funny one. That heatwave in the 3rd week was great, and I'd say quite noteworthy too. However I'd agree many people forget that the last week was extremely dull and wet, and also that on the 5th/6th there was a vigorous depression with very heavy rain and strong winds. These 2 periods of weather were as bad as anything in June 2012. June 2017 was probably one of the most polarised months I remember.

damianslaw we had thundersnow down here on 23 December 2009 when that cold spell moderated a bit from the south. Also.. 22nd February 1995 when a dramatic squall crossed the UK 28th January 2004. This was widespread as a few have stated. Also 6th April 2008. 3 inches in just over an hour but a one off extremely loud clap from a positive strike that was about 4 to 5 miles from my location. Think this was the only strike during that event.

I remember this one. Even down here in north Hampshire we had about a centimetre of snow on the Saturday evening. It quite quickly vanished the next day. The fact we got snow from this may suggest a trough moved down in the flow.

I remember being in St Helier on the night of 8/9th August and seeing distant lightning flickering to the north. Apparently these storms were good over the mainland, being similar in intensity and area affected to the 18/19 July 2017 storms. I also remember an autumnal gale on the Saturday night and Sunday of the bank Holiday, with thunder as well. This was similar to that named storm around 10 August 2014, so quite potent. A good June and July though before it I must add. June very much so.

I'll punt for quite a Late 20C, April 28th, due to the current SSW. Soon after though, on May 5th (the bank Holiday sunday) will see 25C. I feel we could get a 1992 style may and see 30C in the latter stages. Some classic Late may thunderstorms as well, but I digress