September 1986

[damianslaw]

5 hours ago, StretfordEnd1996 said:

Oooh my paper round was from around March 2009 to January 2011 - frozen cold hands I know the feeling all too well!

Ooh what timing... 2 very cold severe spells in that period and lots of snow!

[Summer8906]

Very sunny and dry were my main memories, turning rather foggy later. Also some cold nights.

I recall two-and-a-half days of persistent rain from the afternoon of Sat 13th (one of the "Network Days" with cheap rail tickets, we visited Canterbury and I remember a fine morning and wet afternoon) to the end of the 15th. Aside from that very little rain at all.

A good month after a poor end to summer!

[Summer8906]

On 10/08/2022 at 14:00, Sunny76 said:

Yeah, I hated 1986.

Possibly the most bleak summer I’ve experienced, and not one I would want to witness ever again.

There was a prolonged warm or hot spell lasting from about June 12th to the first weekend in July though, and I think the first 20 days or so of July were reasonable: dry, if cloudier and somewhat cooler after the 5th. The really bad weather lasted from about July 21 to the "Charley" Bank Holiday weekend, IIRC.

Helps I spent the first 12 days of August in Germany (the Black Forest) where the weather was generally warm, so I missed 12 days of that worst period.

In this era, for me, 1985 was probably a little worse, as good weather was almost entirely absent from June and August.

[Summer8906]

On 10/08/2022 at 17:00, hillbilly said:

The last week of the month was positively mild with 25 deg recorded in places,had it not been for that it would have been a shocker.

Though I'd much prefer a September 1986 than something like September 2016 (short period with 34C, otherwise mild but dull and damp).

On 15/08/2022 at 08:12, StretfordEnd1996 said:

Oooh my paper round was from around March 2009 to January 2011 - frozen cold hands I know the feeling all too well!

 

I did a paper-round in the mid-to-late 80s. In particular I remember doing it - after dark (forced, due to school hours) - during Feb 1986. Recall crunchy ice and very bright stars, but I don't remember getting unduly cold. Think it helped I could walk at my own pace, I often find I get cold when I have to walk at other peoples' (slower) paces...

Edited August 16, 2022 by Summer8906

[hillbilly]

36 minutes ago, Summer8906 said:

Very sunny and dry were my main memories, turning rather foggy later. Also some cold nights.

I recall two-and-a-half days of persistent rain from the afternoon of Sat 13th (one of the "Network Days" with cheap rail tickets, we visited Canterbury and I remember a fine morning and wet afternoon) to the end of the 15th. Aside from that very little rain at all.

A good month after a poor end to summer!

September daily minimum records ,a good  representation from 1986 and other 80s years

Day °C °F Notes

1 -0.3 31.5Braemar (Aberdeenshire) 2004

2 -3.3 26.0Dalwhinnie (Inverness-shire) 1938

3 -2.8 27.0West Linton (Peebles-shire) and Eskdalemuir (Dumfries-shire) 1923

4 -1.7 28.9St Harmon (Powys) 1986

5 -2.8 27.0Balmoral (Aberdeenshire) 1908

6 -3.1 26.4St Harmon (Powys) 1984

7 -1.6 29.1Santon Downham (Suffolk) 1985

8 -2.5 27.5Crawfordjohn (Lanarkshire) 1967

9 -5.9 21.4Lagganlia (Inverness-shire) 1972

10 -2.8 27.0Dalwhinnie (Inverness-shire) 1952

11 -4.4 24.0Eskdalemuir (Dumfries-shire) 1931

12 -3.7 25.3Grantown-on-Spey (Inverness-shire) 1991

13 -0.4 31.3Grantown-on-Spey (Inverness-shire) 1990

14 -3.3 26.0Lagganlia (Inverness-shire) 1981

15 -6.1 21.0Dalwhinnie (Inverness-shire) 1979

16 -3.5 25.7St Harmon (Powys) 1986

17 -5.1 22.8St Harmon (Powys) 1986

18 -5.0 23.0Tummell Bridge (Perthshire) 1986

19 -5.5 22.1St Harmon (Powys) 1986

20 -2.6 27.3Lagganlia (Inverness-shire) 1997

21 -4.4 24.0Glentress (Peebles-shire) 1964

22 -4.6 23.7Grantown-on-Spey (Inverness-shire) 1984

23 -6.1 21.0Glenlivet (Banffshire) 1946

24 -4.0 24.8Buddon Ness (Angus) 1973; -3.3C/26.0F Santon Downham (Suffolk) 2003

25 -4.8 23.4Lagganlia (Inverness-shire) 1972

26 -6.7 20.0Dalwhinnie (Inverness-shire) 1942

27 -6.2 20.8Lagganlia (Inverness-shire) 1975

28 -6.0 21.2Braemar (Aberdeenshire) 1974

29 -4.4 24.0West Linton (Peebles-shire) 1940

30 -5.6 22.0Santon Downham-Grimes Graves (Norfolk) 1969

 

[Sunny76]

On 10/08/2022 at 20:52, StretfordEnd1996 said:

Yes crazy period without question. Had no idea until now this period was like this.. 
 

I wouldn’t want to sacrifice two decent summers for very cold months like that though.

The mid 80s were terrible summers.

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, Summer8906 said:

There was a prolonged warm or hot spell lasting from about June 12th to the first weekend in July though, and I think the first 20 days or so of July were reasonable: dry, if cloudier and somewhat cooler after the 5th. The really bad weather lasted from about July 21 to the "Charley" Bank Holiday weekend, IIRC.

Helps I spent the first 12 days of August in Germany (the Black Forest) where the weather was generally warm, so I missed 12 days of that worst period.

In this era, for me, 1985 was probably a little worse, as good weather was almost entirely absent from June and August.

The poor period covered most of the school holidays. That to me makes it a poor summer.

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, Summer8906 said:

There was a prolonged warm or hot spell lasting from about June 12th to the first weekend in July though, and I think the first 20 days or so of July were reasonable: dry, if cloudier and somewhat cooler after the 5th. The really bad weather lasted from about July 21 to the "Charley" Bank Holiday weekend, IIRC.

Helps I spent the first 12 days of August in Germany (the Black Forest) where the weather was generally warm, so I missed 12 days of that worst period.

In this era, for me, 1985 was probably a little worse, as good weather was almost entirely absent from June and August.

I think the only good thing about summer 1986 was the clear warm sunny June, with long sunny days, around the World Cup time, and those thunderstorms overnight on the second Sunday in August.

[damianslaw]

26 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

The poor period covered most of the school holidays. That to me makes it a poor summer.

Yes 4 terrible school holidays periods in a row, after 2 very good ones in 83 and 84, and then 3 after in 89-91. For a child who was 7 in 1985 and 10 in 1988 it meant many a wet day outdoors!

Edited August 16, 2022 by damianslaw

[hillbilly]

10 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Yes 4 terrible school holidays periods in a row, after 2 very good ones in 83 and 84, and then 3 after in 89-91. For a child who was 7 in 1985 and 10 in 1988 it meant many a wet day outdoors!

Yes 85-88 summers were poor but supported by 83,84,89 and 90 that is still way better than average overall and you would never want to swap those summers for 2007-2012.

[Sunny76]

On 16/08/2022 at 19:18, hillbilly said:

Yes 85-88 summers were poor but supported by 83,84,89 and 90 that is still way better than average overall and you would never want to swap those summers for 2007-2012.

Yeah the wait for a decent summer and hot weather was 7 years between 2006 until 2013.

Times have changed since then.

[Summer8906]

On 16/08/2022 at 20:37, Sunny76 said:

The poor period covered most of the school holidays. That to me makes it a poor summer.

True, and I was still at school then. Think it did help that I spent 12 days in Germany where it was mostly warm and sunny, with two thundery outbreaks followed by cooldowns, but no prolonged cool, wet weather.

The precise opposite of 1981, I guess - when the fine weather almost exactly coincided with the school holidays.

A summer comprised of a first half like 1986 and a second half like 1981 would have been an absolute classic, that's for sure. Followed by a flip back to 1986 conditions around Sep 10th.

On 16/08/2022 at 20:39, Sunny76 said:

I think the only good thing about summer 1986 was the clear warm sunny June, with long sunny days, around the World Cup time, and those thunderstorms overnight on the second Sunday in August.

Missed those, but I might have experienced the same system in the Black Forest a day later.

There, there were big storms overnight Aug 3/4 (the first Sunday/Monday) and in the late evening, starting just after sunset (I remember red lightning as it approached) on one other day, which might have been Mon 11th.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Summer8906

[Metwatch]

This month had a minimum CET of 6.6C which is the coldest since records began from 1878. That is 0.3C colder than December 2015's value!