Summer 2004

[LetItSnow]

The summer of 2004 was a very volatile summer with frequent spells of very wet weather, sometimes very thundery. It's not often mentioned when the topic of poor summers comes up.

June 2004 started with high pressure dominating, though there was imbedded cloud and outbreaks of rain at times mixed in. Nights were particularly muggy at this time with temperatures in London not falling below 16°C on the 5th and 17°C on the 6th. Conditions improved day by day and by the 8th the temperatures reached 31.5°C in Cambridge, the months maximum temperature. The heat wasn't without storms though and quite a severe hail storm took place in Leconfield, Yorkshire on the same day. A brief cooler interlude followed but then high pressure returned once more. Apart from some cloudy conditions across Scotland, this was a fine period. Temperatures became very warm once again with 29°C in Bournemouth on the 15th. The C.E.T. up to the 16th stood at an impressive 16.6°C.

After some may have thought a 2003 repeat was on the cards, the true nature of the summer got going on the 17th as high pressure began to retrogress to Greenland. After a very warm first half of June the temperature only reached 10°C at Scarborough and Leeds on the 18th. These northerly winds did spark thunderstorms in places as well as ground frosts in many areas and even an air frost at Shap Fell. Snow fell on Scottish mountains on the 19th. The main story of June 2004 was the exceptionally deep area of low pressure that ravaged its way through on the 22nd/23rd. 982mb was reported off SE Ireland before the low moved across Wales and England later in the day. In Cornwall a landslide destroyed several gardens in Truro and parts of Plymouth were flooded. Around the coasts of England there were gusts to 60mph, causing further damage to Brighton's West Pier. Powerlines were blown down in Kent and Essex and the Severn Crossing was closed; ferry services across the English Channel were suspended. Many parts of Cornwall, Wales and Cumbria received over 25 mm of rain. Rather less cool to end June 2004 but still very unsettled.

June 2004 was rather warm overall with the cool second-half not quite enough to cancel out an exceptionally warm first. It was very wet in the north but drier in the south. It was the wettest June in Kinloss since records began in 1951. Extremely dull in Scotland.

July 2004 began very unsettled with low pressure dominating off the Atlantic, bringing depressed temperatures, but most notably a lot of showers and longer spells of rain, some of which were torrential at times. The 5th and 6th saw slack pressure with some thunderstorms, but it was nothing compared to the absolute deluge that came on the 7th and 8th which brought some of the poorest summer weather of century so far. Cool air in the Atlantic meeting with very hot air into southeast Europe generated a vigorous low pressure system that tracked along the English Channel. This low brought torrential rain, strong winds and very cold temperatures. By the 7th trees were felled, and many large branches brought down in southern England, and power cuts affected about 10,000 people. The 8th cold day in the Midlands, with Shawbury, Nottingham and Birmingham all having their coldest July day since records began in the 1940s. There was a high of just 9.6°C at Sennybridge. During the afternoon and into the evening heavy thunderstorms developed in eastern England; Wittering had 108mm 18 hours, with 51mm in two hours during a thunderstorm. The following days saw calmer weather but cool temperatures.

The second-half of July 2004 slowly began to warm up but it still wasn't without volatile weather at times, particularly between the 17th and 22nd in which severe thunderstorms affected parts of the UK. Severe thunderstorms occurred across the SE England and East Anglia on the 17th; marble-sized hail was reported in Crystal Palace in London and the hail cracked a windscreen in East Thurrock. Large hail diameters were also reported at Ilford (3cm), Dover (3cm) and Sandgate (4cm). In Maldon, Essex a thunderstorm lasted from 1140GMT to 1225GMT; torrential rain led to flash flooding in the town with several overhead strikes and some trees being reported to have been hit. Holbeach (Lincolnshire) recorded 25.2 mm in one hour in a heavy shower on the 18th. On the 22nd, 28.6mm of rain one hour to Scampton. A thunderstorm in West Northamptonshire in the evening caused floods, fallen trees, traffic accidents and damaged buildings. In Daventry, a day care centre roof collapsed, pubs were flooded and thousands of homes were left without power Eyewitnesses described the storm as "a mini tornado" and said six or seven inches of rain fell within minutes.

A very warm and pleasant end to the month, one of the few settled spells of the summer. 30.1°C was the highest temperature of the month, recorded in central London on the 29th. Very modest figure.

July 2004 was cool, though a warmer second-half did enough to stop the month from being notably cold despite a cold first-half. The month tended to be quite dry in Scotland but wet in the east. Dull almost everywhere.

August 2004 began hot and sticky with a Scandinavian high and weakening pressure. Most days saw temperatures in the upper 20s and low 30s. The 3rd brought afternoon further storms in S England spreading north with one person being killed in the Midlands at Bloxwich, and four other being thrown to the ground after lightning struck nearby them in Hyde Park, London. As storms drains overflowed into the Thames in London, the storms were also blamed for the death of hundreds of fish. In High Wycombe 42.4mm of rain was measured in 38 minutes. Further storms on the 5th. In Gloucestershire the fire brigade asked for only 'life or death' emergency calls as they responded to appeals for help. In Reading the storms brought 30mm of rain and a 10°C drop in temperature in about 30 minutes. 31.8mm of rain fell in half an hour during a thunderstorm at Warstock (West Midlands) from 1505GMT, while 3cm diameter hail was observed at Elkstone (Gloucestershire). The hottest temperature of the year was recorded on the 8th; 31.5°C at central London and at Northolt. The following night was extremely warm. The minimum temperature at Marham was 21.9°C. At Carlton-in-Cleveland the minimum temperature of 20.1°C was the highest in 21 years of records, and similar minima were recorded around the London area. At 0600GMT air temperatures included 17°C at Lerwick and 22°C at Heathrow, with dew points close to 20°C around the Home Counties.

Volatile weather continued into the middle of August. After further heavy rain on the 12th, the village of Wark, near Hexham, was one of the worst affected areas, with at least 20 homes evacuated after the River North Tyne burst its banks. In Northumberland at one time up to 2,000 homes were without power as engineers reported 25 lightning strikes. Rising water levels at the River Caravan Park in Wooler (Northumberland) prompted the evacuation of tourists at about 0300GMT. News reports spoke of about 67mm falling in the Huddersfield area in about 45 minutes, a wall collapsed on a couple of people, and homes and shops were flooded. There was serious flooding in Newton Abbot/Kingsteignton causing traffic snarl ups and reportedly parts of Plymouth collected 4 inches of rain causing flooding. The month is most known for the devastating events of the 16th which brought devastation to Boscastle and can be read in depth about the cause elsewhere on here and other sites. Downpours combined with a rising tide led to flash flooding and the River Valancy broke its banks at Boscastle. The floodwaters washed 30 cars and two buildings into the sea, and a bridge was swept away. The military was called in to help after several people were reported missing. Dozens of people had to be airlifted from the area. At nearby Otterham 200.4mm fell in the 24 hours beginning 0900GMT. A complex area of low pressure straddling the British Isles on the 18th was the tipping point for a landslide in the southern Highlands that trapped 20 cars near Lochearnhead. Shawbury recorded 23mm in 1 hour, with a tornado reported in Bramshall, near Uttoxeter, on the afternoon of the 23rd, causing some serious damage and some people were injured.

By the end of the month the tropical element was lost and it became unsettled more of the cool, Atlantic driven type. Still, the month did end fine under a ridge but with average temperatures.

August 2004 overall, no surprises here, was exceptionally wet with unprecedented amounts of rainfall locally. It was also a very warm month, though after the first week it was often felt with balmy, tropical nights. Indeed there were no very hot days, just often very warm and sticky. That definitely fuelled the low pressure systems. Sunshine wasn't anything to write home about though in the far north it was very sunny.

What are your memories of the summer of 2004? Better or worse?

 

[cheeky_monkey]

spent the first 2 weeks of July in Tenerife with my wife and then pre-school children ..do remember coming back suitably bronzed to a cold wet blighty ..still didn't stop me from parading around in shorts and flip flops though for the rest of the summer 

Edited July 21, 2023 by cheeky_monkey

[Metwatch]

3 hours ago, LetItSnow! said:

The summer of 2004 was a very volatile summer with frequent spells of very wet weather, sometimes very thundery. It's not often mentioned when the topic of poor summers comes up.

June 2004 started with high pressure dominating, though there was imbedded cloud and outbreaks of rain at times mixed in. Nights were particularly muggy at this time with temperatures in London not falling below 16°C on the 5th and 17°C on the 6th. Conditions improved day by day and by the 8th the temperatures reached 31.5°C in Cambridge, the months maximum temperature. The heat wasn't without storms though and quite a severe hail storm took place in Leconfield, Yorkshire on the same day. A brief cooler interlude followed but then high pressure returned once more. Apart from some cloudy conditions across Scotland, this was a fine period. Temperatures became very warm once again with 29°C in Bournemouth on the 15th. The C.E.T. up to the 16th stood at an impressive 16.6°C.

After some may have thought a 2003 repeat was on the cards, the true nature of the summer got going on the 17th as high pressure began to retrogress to Greenland. After a very warm first half of June the temperature only reached 10°C at Scarborough and Leeds on the 18th. These northerly winds did spark thunderstorms in places as well as ground frosts in many areas and even an air frost at Shap Fell. Snow fell on Scottish mountains on the 19th. The main story of June 2004 was the exceptionally deep area of low pressure that ravaged its way through on the 22nd/23rd. 982mb was reported off SE Ireland before the low moved across Wales and England later in the day. In Cornwall a landslide destroyed several gardens in Truro and parts of Plymouth were flooded. Around the coasts of England there were gusts to 60mph, causing further damage to Brighton's West Pier. Powerlines were blown down in Kent and Essex and the Severn Crossing was closed; ferry services across the English Channel were suspended. Many parts of Cornwall, Wales and Cumbria received over 25 mm of rain. Rather less cool to end June 2004 but still very unsettled.

June 2004 was rather warm overall with the cool second-half not quite enough to cancel out an exceptionally warm first. It was very wet in the north but drier in the south. It was the wettest June in Kinloss since records began in 1951. Extremely dull in Scotland.

July 2004 began very unsettled with low pressure dominating off the Atlantic, bringing depressed temperatures, but most notably a lot of showers and longer spells of rain, some of which were torrential at times. The 5th and 6th saw slack pressure with some thunderstorms, but it was nothing compared to the absolute deluge that came on the 7th and 8th which brought some of the poorest summer weather of century so far. Cool air in the Atlantic meeting with very hot air into southeast Europe generated a vigorous low pressure system that tracked along the English Channel. This low brought torrential rain, strong winds and very cold temperatures. By the 7th trees were felled, and many large branches brought down in southern England, and power cuts affected about 10,000 people. The 8th cold day in the Midlands, with Shawbury, Nottingham and Birmingham all having their coldest July day since records began in the 1940s. There was a high of just 9.6°C at Sennybridge. During the afternoon and into the evening heavy thunderstorms developed in eastern England; Wittering had 108mm 18 hours, with 51mm in two hours during a thunderstorm. The following days saw calmer weather but cool temperatures.

The second-half of July 2004 slowly began to warm up but it still wasn't without volatile weather at times, particularly between the 17th and 22nd in which severe thunderstorms affected parts of the UK. Severe thunderstorms occurred across the SE England and East Anglia on the 17th; marble-sized hail was reported in Crystal Palace in London and the hail cracked a windscreen in East Thurrock. Large hail diameters were also reported at Ilford (3cm), Dover (3cm) and Sandgate (4cm). In Maldon, Essex a thunderstorm lasted from 1140GMT to 1225GMT; torrential rain led to flash flooding in the town with several overhead strikes and some trees being reported to have been hit. Holbeach (Lincolnshire) recorded 25.2 mm in one hour in a heavy shower on the 18th. On the 22nd, 28.6mm of rain one hour to Scampton. A thunderstorm in West Northamptonshire in the evening caused floods, fallen trees, traffic accidents and damaged buildings. In Daventry, a day care centre roof collapsed, pubs were flooded and thousands of homes were left without power Eyewitnesses described the storm as "a mini tornado" and said six or seven inches of rain fell within minutes.

A very warm and pleasant end to the month, one of the few settled spells of the summer. 30.1°C was the highest temperature of the month, recorded in central London on the 29th. Very modest figure.

July 2004 was cool, though a warmer second-half did enough to stop the month from being notably cold despite a cold first-half. The month tended to be quite dry in Scotland but wet in the east. Dull almost everywhere.

August 2004 began hot and sticky with a Scandinavian high and weakening pressure. Most days saw temperatures in the upper 20s and low 30s. The 3rd brought afternoon further storms in S England spreading north with one person being killed in the Midlands at Bloxwich, and four other being thrown to the ground after lightning struck nearby them in Hyde Park, London. As storms drains overflowed into the Thames in London, the storms were also blamed for the death of hundreds of fish. In High Wycombe 42.4mm of rain was measured in 38 minutes. Further storms on the 5th. In Gloucestershire the fire brigade asked for only 'life or death' emergency calls as they responded to appeals for help. In Reading the storms brought 30mm of rain and a 10°C drop in temperature in about 30 minutes. 31.8mm of rain fell in half an hour during a thunderstorm at Warstock (West Midlands) from 1505GMT, while 3cm diameter hail was observed at Elkstone (Gloucestershire). The hottest temperature of the year was recorded on the 8th; 31.5°C at central London and at Northolt. The following night was extremely warm. The minimum temperature at Marham was 21.9°C. At Carlton-in-Cleveland the minimum temperature of 20.1°C was the highest in 21 years of records, and similar minima were recorded around the London area. At 0600GMT air temperatures included 17°C at Lerwick and 22°C at Heathrow, with dew points close to 20°C around the Home Counties.

Volatile weather continued into the middle of August. After further heavy rain on the 12th, the village of Wark, near Hexham, was one of the worst affected areas, with at least 20 homes evacuated after the River North Tyne burst its banks. In Northumberland at one time up to 2,000 homes were without power as engineers reported 25 lightning strikes. Rising water levels at the River Caravan Park in Wooler (Northumberland) prompted the evacuation of tourists at about 0300GMT. News reports spoke of about 67mm falling in the Huddersfield area in about 45 minutes, a wall collapsed on a couple of people, and homes and shops were flooded. There was serious flooding in Newton Abbot/Kingsteignton causing traffic snarl ups and reportedly parts of Plymouth collected 4 inches of rain causing flooding. The month is most known for the devastating events of the 16th which brought devastation to Boscastle and can be read in depth about the cause elsewhere on here and other sites. Downpours combined with a rising tide led to flash flooding and the River Valancy broke its banks at Boscastle. The floodwaters washed 30 cars and two buildings into the sea, and a bridge was swept away. The military was called in to help after several people were reported missing. Dozens of people had to be airlifted from the area. At nearby Otterham 200.4mm fell in the 24 hours beginning 0900GMT. A complex area of low pressure straddling the British Isles on the 18th was the tipping point for a landslide in the southern Highlands that trapped 20 cars near Lochearnhead. Shawbury recorded 23mm in 1 hour, with a tornado reported in Bramshall, near Uttoxeter, on the afternoon of the 23rd, causing some serious damage and some people were injured.

By the end of the month the tropical element was lost and it became unsettled more of the cool, Atlantic driven type. Still, the month did end fine under a ridge but with average temperatures.

August 2004 overall, no surprises here, was exceptionally wet with unprecedented amounts of rainfall locally. It was also a very warm month, though after the first week it was often felt with balmy, tropical nights. Indeed there were no very hot days, just often very warm and sticky. That definitely fuelled the low pressure systems. Sunshine wasn't anything to write home about though in the far north it was very sunny.

What are your memories of the summer of 2004? Better or worse?

 

Don't remember much of it as I was born in the June of that summer - the 18th.

Did look at the archive though for the first time few years back for that date, and was surprised how cool the airmass was with that northerly set up!

[Sunny76]

2004 was a rotten summer.

June started off on the right foot, following on from May, which I remember being fairly warm and sunny.

July was wet and chilly at times, and August was thundery and humid, but not many sunny days.

September saw the return of nice sunny days and very warm days at times , with clear coolish evenings.

26 minutes ago, Metwatch said:

Don't remember much of it as I was born in the June of that summer - the 18th.

Did look at the archive though for the first time few years back for that date, and was surprised how cool the airmass was with that northerly set up!

Thanks for making me feel old.

I was 28 during the year in question lol.

[Cheshire Freeze]

I have memories of a potent line of storms crossing England and Wales from west to east. Brought with them flash flooding, roofs caving in with the amount of water falling etc. Can’t remember if it was 2004 but it fits, was around that time. It was August, I can remember that much.

Edited July 21, 2023 by CreweCold

[Don]

5 minutes ago, CreweCold said:

I have memories of a potent line of storms crossing England and Wales from west to east. Brought with them flash flooding, roofs caving in with the amount of water falling etc. Can’t remember if it was 2004 but it fits, was around that time. It was August, I can remember that much.

It is August 2004 you're thinking of, which also featured the Boscastle floods.  August 2004 was unusual in that it was very wet but also very warm with a CET of 17.6C.

[Don]

22 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

2004 was a rotten summer.

I was 28 during the year in question lol.

2004 was a memorable summer though, particularly August, albeit not really for the right reasons!  Spent summer solstice at Stonehenge that year and it was flippin freezing!!

Edited July 21, 2023 by Don

[Summer18]

This was a weird summer in that it felt consistently warm but without any prolonged heatwaves. It’s probably the most thundery summer I can remember especially during August. We had some cracking storms during the second week in particular. 

[Sunny76]

I think it was a drab summer, and not particularly that great for storms in the London area. We did have an overnight storm in august though.

[B87]

A so-so summer, yet every month still managed to record over 200 sun hours here (as you would expect). July 2004 will probably be seen as a better month than July 2023.

Edited July 22, 2023 by B87

[SummerShower]

August 2004 was a storm lovers dream.   I counted 7 days with thunder that month which was a record.  How I'd love another month like that - just dial up the heat and sunshine at the start more pronounced and you have the perfect month.

I've seen similarities with this summer so far, and 2004.  June this year being quite a bit better but July (so far) a bit worse.  Could we end up with an August similar to 2004?  Possibly.. the heat is there in the Atlantic to fuel tropical elements.

Anyway, not a bad summer.  June starting very good which made me think we were in for another 2003 (I didn't understand the concept of a 'front loaded' summer back then.  July was the month that let it down though.

[Row w]

Remember it quite well as June 2004 I was taking my GCSE's, remember it being very warm almost hot at times and agree on it at that point feeling like a repeat of 2003. Also notable as one of the most thundery summers with plenty of thunder days and nights, not long after was when I would say I started to notice a decline in thunder days.

[Don]

4 hours ago, Row w said:

Remember it quite well as June 2004 I was taking my GCSE's, remember it being very warm almost hot at times and agree on it at that point feeling like a repeat of 2003. Also notable as one of the most thundery summers with plenty of thunder days and nights, not long after was when I would say I started to notice a decline in thunder days.

Stop making feel old lol! 

First half of June 2004 was indeed very warm, but then turned much cooler after mid month, which continued through much of July, before becoming much warmer, albeit very wet for August.

[Row w]

10 hours ago, Don said:

Stop making feel old lol! 

First half of June 2004 was indeed very warm, but then turned much cooler after mid month, which continued through much of July, before becoming much warmer, albeit very wet for August.

Sorry, my bad 

[Don]

2 hours ago, Row w said:

Sorry, my bad 

I'll let you off this time! 

[danm]

2004 was the year I finished my A Levels, before I was off to Uni. I remember June and July being mixed, some warmer spells but also rain too. I was away with school friends during the first week of August when there was that hotter spell. My memories of the rest of August were lots of heavy showers. 

[Harry233]

I remember June generally being wet and unsettled but generally muggy. A few nice days here and there. July was generally cool and cloudy but it was rather dry which was unusual. It turned quite warm and sunny for the months close. August I remember being very warm but also very wet. I remember many floods locally around the 9th-12th. Aberfeldy was very badly effected from memory and was almost completely cut off. There was a few landslides along the A9 and around Perth. It was also then I recorded the warmest night recorded for my area at 19.2.C. Still yet to be beat. The end of august was quite pleasant from memory. A unforgettable but also a strange summer.

[SunChaserWales]

On 25/07/2023 at 23:01, Harry233 said:

I remember June generally being wet and unsettled but generally muggy. A few nice days here and there. July was generally cool and cloudy but it was rather dry which was unusual. It turned quite warm and sunny for the months close. August I remember being very warm but also very wet. I remember many floods locally around the 9th-12th. Aberfeldy was very badly effected from memory and was almost completely cut off. There was a few landslides along the A9 and around Perth. It was also then I recorded the warmest night recorded for my area at 19.2.C. Still yet to be beat. The end of august was quite pleasant from memory. A unforgettable but also a strange summer.

Makes it sound a lot like summer 2020!

[LetItSnow]

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Boscastle disaster.

[cheeky_monkey]

 LetItSnow sheet shows how times flies..i remember that day and it being on the news..feels more like 5 years ago not 20!

[Don]

 cheeky_monkey Yes, time certainly does fly!  I was on holiday in Cornwall at the time of the Boscastle floods, but where I was it was dry and sunny that afternoon (a rarity that month!!).