Nick H

Given that the CET for Sep 1-29 is 16.71, and that last night's minima over the CET region by my calculations were just below 9C, that would mean we would need maxima of just under 21C in the CET region today to finish up at 16.65 and hence break the record. I doubt this is possible so expect the CET to come out at 16.6 and hence equal the record.

Hi Gray-Wolf, Actually for the purposes of CET calculation the month ends at 1900 BST tonight. Thus tonight's minima will have no bearing on the September CET but will be counted as the first minima for the purposes of calculating the October CET. Similarly, the first minima used to calculate the September CET is the night of August 31-September 1.

Last night's minima in the CET region were over 4C lower than the previous night. With the CET taking a big knock yesterday, this morning's minima are going to have a bigger effect, particularly as there is nothing to suggest substantially higher maxima today than yesterday. Whether the September record is broken or not now hangs in the balance.

Hi So95, I'm not sure tbh, I've seen it referred to as a "frost hollow", e.g. by the BBC, and you're right that North Shropshire is particularly flat in general. As a Salop native I'm sure you know the area as well as anyone (btw I was born in Shifnal nr Bridgnorth and spent the first five years of my life there, sadly I don't get back there as often as I like but it's definitely one of my favourite places in England and I have relatives in Herefs). If you look at this picture of RAF Shawbury it does look like the station is situated in some sort of "bowl" at the base of hills/valley, so may be conducive to cold air pooling? http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/eagles/shows/shaw_arrival2.jpg

Indeed. Also, RAF Shawbury being in both a frost hollow and the most rural county in England (Shropshire) helped too.

The lowest maximum recorded in Britain is -19.1C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire on 10 January 1982. That very same morning Braemar also recorded the lowest ever minimum in Britain, -27.2C.

Ah but how do you know they haven't married? As a listener to the Janice Long show I know that Deakin has recently got married.

I admire your optimism regarding the Met Office's customer services, John.

The politically aware amongst NetWeather members might like to consider that this year's cycle of hurricane names contain Gordon and Tony for the first time, and that if anything becomes of Gordon then its remnants may have made their way across the Atlantic just in time for the Labour Party Conference next week.

In 1660 the records for April, June and November were all broken. But the CET had only been devised the previous year! There are many examples of this in the second half of the 17th century.

Interesting analysis of the various months' recent trend, and I'd agree with all but one, viz. December: we have had only one mild December since 1988 (1994), most have been cold or slightly below average. Also, I think I'm right in saying that June and September have been the two months which have shown the largest warming trend in the very recent past (10 years or so). This is interesting because it is these very two months which showed the least warming between the 1961-90 and 1971-00 CET.

It's only 2.4C above average, because we're only 7 days into the new month. It is pointless comparing the Sep 1-7 CET to the September CET, clearly the first week is expected to be warmer than the rest of the month. You can only compare it to the CET for the first week. The 1-7th CET fell 0.5C between 6th and 7th, and will fall again today due to the low minima experienced this morning.

October 1985 was only warm at the beginning, it ended up a pretty average month. And September 1978 - a warm month and part of the mildest autumn on record - was followed by a very cold winter. September 1981 was also reasonably warm (14.5) and look what happened that winter. September 1946 finished at 14.0C, and there followed another cold winter. Not sure your theory about warm Septembers has a leg to stand on.

Another interesting fact about the weather for Test cricket played in England is that very rarely has a Test Match been played in stifling heat. The Test series of 1976, 1990 and 2003 all missed the very hot weather. The Lord's Test in June 1976 finished two or three days before the heat really built on 23 June that year. The Lord's Test of 1990 at the end of July (Gooch 333) was a week before the heatwave at the beginning of August that year. And the 2003 heatwave of August 3-12 was between the 2nd and 3rd Tests. The last day of the Lord's Test v Pakistan this year was played in 32C heat, which is probably the second or third hottest ever for Tests in England. The hottest day's Test cricket in England was the last day of England v Australia at Lord's on 4 August 1975 when it reached 34C in London. Not surprisingly, that day also saw the first ever streaker at a Test Match.

It was his fault: he would have a clock next to the camera showing how many seconds left for the broadcast, he clearly overran. Tomasz Schafenaker, a good presenter.

Funny you should say that because I can't recall this either and I was in the south-east too. I certainly can recall the topic of the other thread: the Bank Holdiay in August 1986.

Being a bit premature isn't he? We're only halfway through August.

Yes look out for ticks as well as midges, esp. on wet and muggy evenings. I went to Islay in late May and I must have tweezered out at least 50 ticks from my body after an evening walk. Wear long trousers, sleeves and hat!

A maximum of just 15C at Hurn that day

Where does one start with such ill-informed nonsense? Well this "freezing" weather has resulted in the current August CET being 0.5C higher than normal according to Phil. Eden. You note that day time max are "barely getting above 22C": well that's the long term average for August, or just a shade above! These "wet conditions" in August: there's more than 30 per cent deficit across England and Wales so far this month according to the same source. You assume these are "cool and wet conditions" but you've clearly become accustomed to hot conditions during last month so much that you fail to recognise what constitutes an average British summer. March was the only really colder-than-usual month out of the first five months of the year; dunno where you were in June but it can't have been the UK!

I was on a family holiday in Cornwall at the time, we'd rented out a house for the week right on the sea front. The conditions were appalling: very overcast (and wet), but the moment of darkness is not something I'll forget. The movement from light to pitch black and then back to light; the sudden cooling and warming; the sight of the seagulls rushing from the harbour out to sea and then flocking back again a few seconds later was impressive.

Couldn't be much worse really then. http://nwstatic.co.uk/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blush.gif

Has anyone else got the book The Observer's Book of Weather, by Reginald M. Lester, F.R.Met.Soc. It was first published way back in 1955 and the reprint I have is from 1967. I used to read it a lot when I was a small boy and it's the most valuable and treasured book I have on meterology. I imagine it's long since been out of print but it's well worth a read if you can get your hand on a copy (Ebay?). In fact I have the whole Observer's series, they're a great collection. The Astronomy edition by Patrick Moore is excellent. Edit/ here it is http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Observers-Book-of-We...1QQcmdZViewItem

Yes I accept that, I was just adding info 30.1C at Clerkenwell was indeed reached on 29 July 2004...but only 29.9C at Heathrow. RHS Wisley also recorded 29.9C that day. Other Augusts not to record 30.0C+ in recent times are 1980-82, 1985-88 and 1991-92. August 2000 is interesting: 31C was recorded at Jersey on the 25th but as far as I'm aware the highest maximum on the mainland was only 29.8C at Southampton (is Soton still an official station? It was in June 1976, of course). I'll have a look at that tomorrow.

The last time a summer month failed to achieve 30.0C+ was way back in...July 2004. And August 2006 recorded just one day of 30.0C+ ... the 31st!