Summer 2023 chat

[In Absence of True Seasons]

11 minutes ago, Alderc said:

Indeed, this is peak summer now. London Average almost 24C in July, probably closer to 24.5C in the second half of July. Over the last ten years Londons averages 25.3C. 19-21C there is in the well below average category. Infact does anywhere in lowland England average less than 21C now say south of about Leeds now? 

Oh absolutely, bear in mind we generally get many days above this average daytime max too, so 19-21c (especially with thick cloud which subdues the feeling of any warmth) is as far below average max for London as 28-30c is above average. The latter of which we've had far less than usual of this month. 

It's very similar to April and May this year in the SE. Yes, on paper "average" temps but next to none of the typical odd "warm" days we nearly always get thrown into the max to offset the cooler ones. Just middling maxes bumped up by mild nighttime temps.

Only June saw seen anything genuinely warm or summery.

[In Absence of True Seasons]

9 hours ago, Addicks Fan 1981 said:

@Snowy Lwe have variation of summers that differ year after year, the beauty of our maritime climate.    

Optimistic outlook you have there! 

Personally I just can't see how something so unreliable and inconsistent, from a perspective of seasonality, can be considered beautiful. 30c and sunny for 2 weeks one year, following year those exact same dates 19c and rainy, cloudy and windy. If our climate was a person, it's certainly not someone I'd want to be in a romantic relationship with Multiple personality disorder!

 Even for weather lovers, it's not a particularly interesting climate...summers often fail to bring real heat and any cool storms, and winters are often 3 months of monotonous gloom with a slim potential of a small bit of snow here and there. 

The climate in somewhere like Latvia, or Bend in Oregon, I would consider beautiful. Crisp, clear and reliably snowy winters, summers with lots of sunshine, and Spring and Autumn a transition between these.

[Azazel]

Time for a little break I think. Models look hilariously bad and every time I come in here, I feel like I’m being gaslit that the weather is above average.

Summer is done guys. 

[Frigid]

Wow this really is the anti-July 2022. Cool and rainy right up to months end. Can't say you see this often. 

[slater]

25 minutes ago, In Absence of True Seasons said:

Honestly mate you cannot tell what it'll be in 2 weeks. It's all a gamble. I honestly highly doubt, by law of averages, it'll be as bad at the end of July / start of August as it has been for this middle chunk of the month.

We are also off to Cornwall next Saturday, latest charts for that week looks absolutely shocking, 16c rain and and absolutely no warmth for the whole week and for the rest of July….anyone on here who says it’s 7 days away and can change, is having a laugh lol, we seem stuck in a rut now, it was always going to happen. Gutted it’s happened mid summer and a typical school holidays wash out. Not sure we can compare this to 2012 just yet,but looks to be on par. August apparently looks to see no change either…

[SunSean]

1 hour ago, TwisterGirl81 said:

Well next week looks a little better, albeit it average, should bump our sunshine totals up a little and good for the general mood In these trying times we see ourselves in hopefully Exeter will rise up in your sunshine totals @SunSean

 

Much better forecast than my area  The current sunshine table will be posted tomorrow morning 

[In Absence of True Seasons]

3 minutes ago, slater said:

We are also off to Cornwall next Saturday, latest charts for that week looks absolutely shocking, 16c rain and and absolutely no warmth for the whole week and for the rest of July….anyone on here who says it’s 7 days away and can change, is having a laugh lol, we seem stuck in a rut now, it was always going to happen. Gutted it’s happened mid summer and a typical school holidays wash out. Not sure we can compare this to 2012 just yet,but looks to be on par. August apparently looks to see no change either…

I said it can change by the start of August! Which is certainly can. 

Silver linings is that the forecasts are often just plain wrong. I'm not saying it'll be a week of 25c and sun lol but even now, my forecast is telling me it's currently raining, and will be raining the entire morning, but I've been sat outside with my coffee since 9.30 with some sunny spells!

Sucks all round though. It's table scraps by this point when I'm trying to lap up a bit of morning sun in like 17/18c and a cold breeze...for mid July it's polishing a turd I'll admit.

Edited July 15, 2023 by In Absence of True Seasons

[In Absence of True Seasons]

5 minutes ago, Frigid said:

Wow this really is the anti-July 2022. Cool and rainy right up to months end. Can't say you see this often. 

Oh my word. That is honestly one of the most shockingly bad runs/forecasts I've ever seen for July. Speechless tbh.

Like if someone made a meme about how bad our climate can be in summer, that is what they'd show. Just the same wet, cool and dull stuff, day in, day out, with no change on the horizon.

Be honestly interesting to compare that to somewhere like Reykjavik over the next week or so, wouldn't surprise me if they fare better than that. Perhaps not in max temps but at least in sunshine hours.

[Bristawl Si]

I'm just waiting for a sunny, warm lull in the "lull".

[Guest]

Feels like the forum morale has finally been broken this morning. No one even attempting to paint a glass half picture. 

[danm]

Well I’m currently seriously considering renting out a place in Portugal for a week or so at the end of next week when the kids break up from school and working out there. Take the wife and kids, let them enjoy a pool and the beach nearby and I join them when I can in between calls or once I finish meetings for the day. 

The models are providing little cheer. Not a total washout by any means but nothing more than average at the very best. Some sunny spells this week but also showers at times, nothing particularly warm. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by danm

[Bradley in Kent]

Well, it looks like we've peaked people. Granted there'll still be the odd usable spells in August and September but it's too late now to build back the synoptics if prolonged warm and sunny weather if that is what you're after. Hot 'High Summers' are built from building blocks put in place in May / June.

Funny how like last winter the most seasonal weather occurred pre-solistice!

I just can't see August delivering anything sustained. Think about it though, 1977 was dreadful at least on paper as was 2004 and 2007. After 2022, we did at least manage to get a record breaking June out of it!

[In Absence of True Seasons]

9 minutes ago, danm said:

Well I’m currently seriously considering renting out a place in Portugal for a week or so at the end of next week when the kids break up from school and working out there. Take the wife and kids, let them enjoy a pool and the beach nearby and I join them when I can in between calls or once I finish meetings for the day. 

The models are providing little cheer. Not a total washout by any means but nothing more than average at the very best. Some sunny spells this week but also showers at times, nothing particularly warm. 

I would do it, if you're able. I have plans in England, specifically made with friends for this time of year because you think "it's mid July, it'll be nice!" this weekend and the next...otherwise I'd 100% be booking a spontaneous trip somewhere hot. Hell I'd stay in a hostel for all I care, I'm after the beach mostly. Just get me to Greece or something!

[Summer of 95]

I really can't think of a summer whose defining feature was a crap July in between a decent June and August. 1988 and 2009 both other months were nowhere near as bad but I wouldn't call them good, just better than July in both cases.

On the other hand, crap July and August after good June (and often at least part of May)- that has happened a few times that I remember. 2017, 2010, 2004 (sort of; August was very warm though dull and wet), 1992- hate to say it but this summer is beginning to remind me of that one. June was hot with a few thunderstorms, July was poor except it had a better final week, then August was atrocious. 

This doesn't bode well for August unfortunately unless 2023 can be that strange year mentioned in the first paragraph!

 

[Weather-history]

1 hour ago, Alderc said:

What is the dullest July on record? 2012? 

Outside any local records, July 1944 was the worst. An absolute shocker for sunshine.

[SunSean]

Lowest I could find for my area-

Heathrow, July 1965- 130 hours of sunshine.

Are we going to achieve less than that this year? Hopefully not!!

[In Absence of True Seasons]

15 minutes ago, Bradley in Kent said:

Well, it looks like we've peaked people. Granted there'll still be the odd usable spells in August and September but it's too late now to build back the synoptics if prolonged warm and sunny weather if that is what you're after. Hot 'High Summers' are built from building blocks put in place in May / June.

Admittedly we had a chilly May but most of June was fantastic, not much better a setup for 'building blocks' for a warm July than the June this year! So it's not to do with that imo, it's just the sheer sporadic nature of our climate. Flip flopping about as it always has done.

Same as the fact that the record 40c we had last year has no bearing on this year. We are barely going to see a 30c in this July let alone 40! Even 25c is a stretch until into August if we go my the models lol.

[Weather-history]

3 minutes ago, SunSean said:

Lowest I could find for my area-

Heathrow, July 1965- 130 hours of sunshine.

Are we going to achieve less than that this year? Hopefully not!!

Greenwich in  July 1913 only recorded 105 hrs of sunshine

[SunnyG]

Yesterday was so awful that today seems great. This is how bad this July is proving. Total, utter bilge.

[Summer8906]

2 hours ago, stainesbloke said:

Nice! Enjoy Greece Am the same as you, I’m happy when it’s not too hot, anything up to 32°C is fine on holiday but prefer 23-28°C at home. Fingers crossed August bucks recent trends and is warmer and more importantly, sunnier than average. 

Thanks!

I think I am becoming acclimatised to the heat somewhat. Apparently (according to an outside thermometer) it was 31C at around 11:30 which is hot by anyone's standards for the time of day, but it just felt like gentle heat. I'd agree up to about 32C is "comfortable" heat, we get less in the way of the oppressive and sticky humidity here than in the UK (though it can happen).

The last two days had really fierce heat so I suspect it's a little cooler today, and probably cooler still in the coming days.

 

[SunnyG]

2 minutes ago, Summer8906 said:

Thanks!

I think I am becoming acclimatised to the heat somewhat. Apparently (according to an outside thermometer) it was 31C at around 11:30 which is hot by anyone's standards for the time of day, but it just felt like gentle heat. I'd agree up to about 32C is "comfortable" heat, we get less in the way of the oppressive and sticky humidity here than in the UK (though it can happen).

The last two days had really fierce heat so I suspect it's a little cooler today, and probably cooler still in the coming days.

 

Lucky lucky you. Heat is very good for your health if you are not sick or elderly. They surveyed people in Scandinavia constantly using saunas and it appears to have a very positive effect on length and quality of life.

[SunSean]

12 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

Greenwich in  July 1913 only recorded 105 hrs of sunshine

My word, that is diabolical! Where did you find Greenwich sunshine amounts btw?

[TEITS]

Bloody awful. I got soaked yesterday when coming home from the hospital. Currently its chucking it down and windy and its only 17C. However I don't envy my family who live in Palermo, Sicily!

Only positive from this weather is my plants are having a good soak.

[SunnyG]

Just now, TEITS said:

Bloody awful. I got soaked yesterday when coming home from the hospital. Currently its chucking it down and windy and its only 17C. However I don't envy my family who live in Palermo, Sicily!

Only positive from this weather is my plants are having a good soak.

I envy your family who live in Palermo, and not only because of the heat. Wonderful place, lovely people, even better food.

[Summer8906]

36 minutes ago, Summer of 95 said:

I really can't think of a summer whose defining feature was a crap July in between a decent June and August. 1988 and 2009 both other months were nowhere near as bad but I wouldn't call them good, just better than July in both cases.

On the other hand, crap July and August after good June (and often at least part of May)- that has happened a few times that I remember. 2017, 2010, 2004 (sort of; August was very warm though dull and wet), 1992- hate to say it but this summer is beginning to remind me of that one. June was hot with a few thunderstorms, July was poor except it had a better final week, then August was atrocious. 

This doesn't bode well for August unfortunately unless 2023 can be that strange year mentioned in the first paragraph!

 

1992 is perhaps the only recent year which featured good June and bad July/August.

2017 was a bit different in the sense that the bad weather only set in around the 18th (it was somewhat like 1986 in that respect albeit less cool). The dates this year are the same as 2017, and the impression of July up to Sat July 15th would have been goodish: warm with varying cloud levels.

July 2004 I was in the USA or Canada for almost all the month though apparently the second half was fairly warm, humid and bright following a shocking first half, so with the first week of August being hot, there was quite a lengthy interlude of fine weather.

July 2010 was very average and dry in the south.

The pattern seems to be that if July is very bad, August is better relatively speaking. Happened in 1988, 1993, 2007, 2009 and 2012 with 1992 being the only fail. So based on previous years I'd guess August would be more average - seems to be hard to sustain cyclonic conditions for more than about 4 weeks in high summer.

There have been a few "sandwich" years from further back: 1970 to some extent and particularly 1973 when June and August were both good and July dull and cool.

Edited July 15, 2023 by Summer8906