Summer of 95

Yes a nice afternoon now, lots of blue sky and only a few Cu. Those sheets of altocumulus that were being a pest this morning have moved away eastwards.

I went to Newcastle and it was pretty good for snow- this was the early 2000s so not a cold era. Any wind direction from NW through SE can deliver there, though NE is the one to look for. In westerlies its often dry and bright while places like Manchester are rainy. The downside is cloudy easterlies, they are really depressing up there. December 2002 in Newcastle yuck yuck. The university is on the northern edge of the city centre, a really good location. Walking distance to everything, but lots of green space around it.

Never seen a rainfall map quite like that before- all those "blobs" make it look like one of those night time satellite images that show up brightly lit cities. In such a NW'ly dominated month I would not expect the isolated pockets of drier than normal to be in Northern Ireland and the west of Wales and Scotland.

2014 is still ahead of 2013 for me despite the rubbish August- the reason being 2013 had only 2 weeks of sustained warmth and sunshine, 2014 had 2 months. And both June and July topped 200 hours of sun, a real contrast from all those cloudy summers. Although August hasn't been as cloudy as most of the 2008-12 ones it still felt dull compared to June and July, but the real problem with this August has been the temperatures. Nothing higher than 23C (achieved during the quite passable first week) and 3 weeks without reaching 21C is appalling for August, before we even mention several maxima of 14-16C and 24 hours of nonstop rain on Monday 25th. Compare this with July's lowest maximum of 19C. August since the 10th has been one of the coldest spells in high summer I can ever remember, along with late July 2005, early July 2000 and most of August 1993. I just cannot understand how it could be so bad after June and July- surely the seas must have retained some warmth and the pattern seemed locked in until autumn. I wouldn't bet against September being warmer and sunnier than August again. September sunnier than August has become the norm here since 2006.

December has had a bigger range since 2000 than several months have since 16-something. August and September, and probably July, having small ranges is not surprising given the warm seas and usual lack of cold air sources in late summer and early autumn. However I am surprised April and May are so far down the list, given the variety of weather they can produce. I'm sure it is possible to get an April below 3C or above 13C, if the right conditions persist all month (remember the first half of April 2013, it was barely warmer than March). November 1994 really was exceptional for the way extreme mildness persisted all month and into December, not even having any spells of average conditions.

15.7 for me. September warmer than August

Still going here! Over 24 hours now, that fine soaking stuff again.

Now been raining non stop for 20 hours: lots of that fine soaking stuff but also some heavy bursts, particularly this evening. Temp below 15C all day too. Can't remember even August 2008 having a day as foul as today.

They added an extra day to the calendar to make hay? (Sorry, couldn't resist)

Disgusting drizzly dross that doesn't feel heavy but soaks you in 5 minutes. Very November-esque.

Cloud been streaming in from the west since before midnight, now affecting most of Britain. Not going to get near the forecasted temps at this rate, thought the cloud wasn't coming till past daybreak?

Wow I've never seen an anticyclone like that anywhere but Siberia in winter! 1035-1040 down by the Auckland Islands must be a pretty rare event.Now I'm just looking again at the longitude/latitude and trying to put that on a map of the North Atlantic. The 1020+ area would go from Iceland to Cape Verde and Bermuda to the Balkans. No, never seen one that big.

Yes I can see them missing me to the east. Feels nice enough in the sun but chilly again in that wind.

Really? Cloud well broken here, best spells of Sun for a few days.I wouldn't say it's been near the worst August I can remember (1992, 1993, 2008, 2010 were all worse), but the last 10-15 days have been one of the coldest spells I can remember in high summer. Along with early July 2000, late July 2005 and late August 1993.

Haven't posted for a while, hoping this October dross would go away if I stayed away. But that was wishful thinking.... June and July in to early Aug were perfectly good summer months, both making 200 hours sun and even the "off" days were often partly sunny and in the low 20s. But since August 10th, rubbish rubbish rubbish. Constant howling N or NW winds, temps of 16-17 by day, showers appearing from nowhere- it really has been October. Only plus point is it hasn't been as dull as 2008,2010 or 2011, at least not here. If this spell finishes in a day or two and we go back to 21C/partly sunny as the default for the rest of August, I'll still rate this summer good. Not too much to ask is it? August you are now in a relegation play-off, fighting for your "summer month" status. Apart from that hot 1st last year you have produced no proper summer weather for 10 years.

-7.6C in Canberra. How many places in the UK have got near that in 2014??? Certainly not any large towns in England.

However August pans out, 2014 is a better summer than 2013 in these parts. June and July both made 200 hours sun and below average rain. 2013 was 2 good weeks in July and 3 fine days and a thunderstorm to begin August- the rest of the time it was mediocre. What has been really noticeable about this summer is the lack of cool days. July didn't have a maximum below 19C, and had no sunless days, a real contrast to the weeks of 18C grey nothingness we seemed to get during those 2008-2012 summers. June was pleasant too, it didn't have any really hot days but lots of low 20s with sun. While June 2013 was much cloudier and even the sunny days often failed to make 20C. August has begun similarly- despite the unsettled synoptics it's reached 21C every day so far, and the sun has always come out at some point. Not like June 2012 for instance when the same patterns meant 14C and permanent cloud, when it wasn't raining. And another feature of this summer- no North Sea Muck on the Welsh border. We haven't had any of it, none of those days of shivering at 15C under grey skies when the forecast was 25 and sunny, not knowing whether it's going to eff off at 10am, 3pm or midnight the following Friday. 2013 by contrast it reached epidemic proportions, especially during June. This I think is a major factor in this year's high sunshine total, and lack of low maxima.

Lovely again now, was lots of cloud earlier that vanished when the wind changed from SW to W- as if by magic. Up to 22C again, the lack of those pesky cool days has been a real treat this summer.

Been belting down for last hour- no sign of any thunder yet

Thunder just now, been raining for about 20 mins, large blob on radar been stuck between Shrewsbury and Welshpool for ages.

Heard thunder at Lake Vyrnwy this afternoon- then drove into a torrential downpour which seemed to head towards Shropshire. Now back and it's been raining here but not just 5 miles north.

Fair bit of sun today, nice temperatures of 21-22C. Only problem is that annoying wind, it seems far too gusty for August. Not making it feel cool though.

Lol 5 mins after typing that- lightning and thunder!

Turned into a nice quite sunny day; hit 21C around 1430 with the sun out. Nothing in the way of thunder despite some hefty rain on and off for 24 hours. Despite the weather generally moving W-E, as the clouds are doing now, that rain for some reason went S-N instead, which nearly always means no thunder here unless a cell can form right over us, as happened the other Friday night.

First half of winter 2010/11 followed by second half of winter 1990/91. March 1995, April 2007 and May 1992. June 2005, July 2006 and August 1995 September 2006, October 2011 and November 1988 28C reached in 6 months, 21C in 7, about 30-35 days of lying snow, must be the best part of 100 air frosts. What a year!