The best/worst weather years under a prime minister

[Sunny76]

The best and worst summers, best and worst winters, during the various prime ministers we’ve had over the last 44 years?

I think Maggie Thatcher until Sunak is a good chunk of PMs,  but we can include Ted Heath and Harold MacMillan.

For me, the best years under a prime minister were John Major until early Blair. We had a string of good summers, and still a couple of decent snowfalls, although not as good as some of the 80s during Maggie’s reign. 
 

I think Gordon Brown had the misfortune of taking over during a period of really poor summers during the late 2000s, but the winters were decent.

Teresa May had some stinker years, after taking over from David Cameron, especially with a number of duff summers, and a few mild damp winters. 

Edited July 31, 2023 by Sunny76

[Methuselah]

Don't forget that the dynamic summers of 1970, '71 and '72 were all during the Ted Heath years.

[A Face like Thunder]

Glad you mentioned Harold MacMillan who was PM during the savage winter of 1962/3. He resigned the following October although no blame for the weather was attached to him! 

Harold Wilson was PM for much of the remainder of the 1960s which were noted for cool summers and cold winters.

Edited August 1, 2023 by A Face like Thunder

[Sunny76]

Boris Johnson was PM during the snow of February 2009. He took the London buses out of service.

Oh sorry, I forgot he was London Mayor then lol.

[jtay]

Liz Truss was PM during a brief shower.

Edited August 1, 2023 by jtay

[Don]

For me, it would be Maggie Thatcher, Gordon Brown and early David Cameron.

[sundog]

What about Churchill? 40 - 45 good for winter lovers overall.  51 - 55 probably not bad for winter lovers?? Don't know about the summers for the yrs in question. 

Edit sorry should have read the question properly, if talking about the last 44yrs or so.

Edited August 2, 2023 by sundog

[damianslaw]

Tony Blair winter years were very unwintry in the main.. 

Interesting to note how 2 changes to conservative goverment arrived on back of our last 2 coldest winters.. May 79 after 78-79, May 10 after 09-10...

[B87]

Thatcher: best 1989, worst 1980

Major: best 1995, worst 1993

Blair: best 2003, worst 2000

Brown: best 2009, worst 2010

Cameron: best 2014, worst 2012

May: best 2018, worst 2017

Johnson: best 2022, worst 2021

Truss: best 12 Sep 22, worst 14 Oct 22

Sunak: best 10 Jun 23, worst 11 Dec 22

If you are asking which PM had the best weather and which the worst, then Blair wins easily. Thatcher the worst.

Edited August 2, 2023 by B87

[Summer8906]

Can only directly comment on the Thatcher era onwards, earlier than that I have to rely on historical records. However I will attempt to do so for summer for the PMs from Macmillan onward.

And for obvious reasons we have to use Johnson as the most recent.

Summers:

Thatcher - best: 1989 worst: 1980

Major - best: 1995 worst: 1992

Blair - best: 2006 worst: 1998

Brown - best: 2009 worst: 2007 (or 2008 if the PM has to be in post for all of June-Aug)

Cameron - best: 2013 worst: 2012

May - best: 2018 worst: 2017

Johnson - best: 2022 worst: 2021

Plus, based on historical records:

(Callaghan best 1976 worst 1978)

(Wilson best 1975 worst 1965)

(Heath best 1973 worst 1972)

(Macmillan best 1959 worst 1958)

 

Winters:

Thatcher - best: 1985 worst: 1990

Major - best: 1991 worst: 1995

Blair - best: 2006 worst: 2007 (notable that there were no really good winters in the Blair era)

Brown - best: 2010 worst: 2008

Cameron - best: 2013 worst: 2014

May - best: 2018 worst: 2017

Johnson - best: 2022 worst: 2020

Years:

Thatcher - best: 1989 worst 1980 or 1988

Major - best: 1995 worst 1992 or 1993

Blair - best: 2003 worst 1998

Brown - best 2009 worst 2008 (only two full years to choose from!)

Cameron - best 2013 worst 2012

May - best 2018 worst 2017 (again only two to choose from)

Johnson - best 2021 worst 2020 (only two years, both of which were mostly rubbish, to choose from. A close thing however 2021 was perhaps very marginally less bad).

 

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

On 31/07/2023 at 22:02, Methuselah said:

Don't forget that the dynamic summers of 1970, '71 and '72 were all during the Ted Heath years.

I guess June 1970 and July 1971 were good. Put those together with August 1973 and that might be a decent Heath summer.

[Weather-history]

Anthony Eden lasted less the 2 years but his premiership encompassed snow in May, a superb summer in 1955, a severe February in 1956, a diabolical summer in 1956, a white Christmas in 1956.

 

[Summer8906]

On 02/08/2023 at 23:39, damianslaw said:

Tony Blair winter years were very unwintry in the main..

Indeed, 2005/6 was the best of a bad lot. Perhaps the only winter under Tony Blair in which all three months were average or slightly below.

For point of clarification, this is a comment on the winter weather, and not the politics.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

On 02/08/2023 at 23:39, B87 said:

Truss: best 12 Sep 22, worst 14 Oct 22

Sunak: best 10 Jun 23, worst 11 Dec 22

If you are asking which PM had the best weather and which the worst, then Blair wins easily. Thatcher the worst.

What happened on 14 Oct 22? I have to admit I can't remember that day at all. A Friday by my calculations; I presume it was very wet and windy?

As for Sunak, just about any day in July 2023, apart from the 7th (based largely on second hand reports, admittedly) would easily beat 11 Dec 22 for awfulness. Can't specifically remember 11 Dec other than it came during the benign, wintry phase of the month.

For Sunak I guess we can do months.

So best summer month: June 2023; worst July 2023

Best winter month: February 2023; worst December 2022 (the sheer awfulness of the final two weeks cancelling out the first half)

Best month: June 2023; worst July 2023

For Truss, we could do spells of weather. So, best spell of weather: 15-25 Sep, worst spell of weather: mid-Oct to her resignation.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

18 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

Anthony Eden lasted less the 2 years but his premiership encompassed snow in May, a superb summer in 1955, a severe February in 1956, a diabolical summer in 1956, a white Christmas in 1956.

 

For Eden I guess it would clearly be: best 1955, worst 1956.

[A Face like Thunder]

It should not be forgotten that Ted Heath, by then an ex-PM, took part in the ill-fated Fastnet race in August 1979 in which 21 sailors lost their lives as a result of a severe storm at sea. A programme, Killer Storm - the Fastnet Disaster, is being shown on Wednesday on Ch 5 starting at 9pm. 

[Summer of 95]

On 06/08/2023 at 10:15, Summer8906 said:

Indeed, 2005/6 was the best of a bad lot. Perhaps the only winter under Tony Blair in which all three months were average or slightly below.

For point of clarification, this is a comment on the winter weather, and not the politics.

Maybe do Parliaments instead of PMs (who keep changing without an election?)

1997-2001 stands out for its poor weather; 3 of the 4 winters were nearly snowless and there was only one really decent summer month (July 1999). Excessive rain and flooding were a constant feature of that one.

2015-17 also had a lot of rubbish especially in the winter. The sunny June of 2015 (election was in May); decent enough May, hot spell in July, thunder in Sept and that crazy wind in Nov in 2016 were all that stood out.

2010-2015 stands out for its variety, months and seasons at all times of year varied from brilliant to terrible in that one.

The brief 2017-2019 one had loads of interesting weather; the snow of winter 17/18, the summer of 2018 and the record warm days in February and July of 2019, then it ended with the very wet autumn of 2019 (but the really awful Feb 2020 was in the next one).

 

[Weather Enthusiast91]

Before my time, but I am going with Maggie Thatcher as being the best years weather-wise. During her time as PM we had some good winters including the winter of 1981/82. Summers were decent too, including the summer of 1983 which was a long hot one. Also, thunderstorms were a lot more common in those days. As for worst years, I would say Gordon Brown as during his era every summer was a bad one.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Weather Enthusiast91

[Summer8906]

9 hours ago, Summer of 95 said:

Maybe do Parliaments instead of PMs (who keep changing without an election?)

1997-2001 stands out for its poor weather; 3 of the 4 winters were nearly snowless and there was only one really decent summer month (July 1999). Excessive rain and flooding were a constant feature of that one.

2015-17 also had a lot of rubbish especially in the winter. The sunny June of 2015 (election was in May); decent enough May, hot spell in July, thunder in Sept and that crazy wind in Nov in 2016 were all that stood out.

2010-2015 stands out for its variety, months and seasons at all times of year varied from brilliant to terrible in that one.

The brief 2017-2019 one had loads of interesting weather; the snow of winter 17/18, the summer of 2018 and the record warm days in February and July of 2019, then it ended with the very wet autumn of 2019 (but the really awful Feb 2020 was in the next one).

 

The Boris years were mostly awful (I'm talking about the weather here!) aside from the lockdown spring which we couldn't enjoy anyway - and spring/summer 2022, which was about the only period under Boris when we had good weather and we could enjoy it.

As for parliaments, some do have overriding themes, I agree. To cover some of the others:

1979-83: changeability, mostly fairly poor summers with some exceptions (August 1981, July 1982), mixed mostly mild winters (except Dec 1981/Jan 1982).

1983-87: cold winters and cool summers were mostly the theme, except for summers 1983 and 1984 and the intervening winter.

1987-92: mild winters and fine summers were the overriding theme, again with some exceptions: summer 1988 and winter 1990/91.

1992-97: a bit more mixed, with two cool changeable summers (1992 and 1993) as well as two winters with significant cold spells (1995/96 and 1996/97). Nonetheless an overall bias towards mild winters and fine summers, overall, but not as pronounced as 1987-92.

2001-05: warm but sometimes changeable summers, and mild, but not outstandingly mild winters. Mixed but not bad. Snowless.

Gordon Brown's brief tenure was characterised to the return of the cold winter, cool summer pattern.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

7 hours ago, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

Before my time, but I am going with Maggie Thatcher as being the best years weather-wise. During her time as PM we had some good winters including the winter of 1981/82. Summers were decent too, including the summer of 1983 which was a long hot one. Also, thunderstorms were a lot more common in those days. As for worst years, I would say Gordon Brown as during his era every summer was a bad one.

I'd say Thatcher for winters, but Major or Blair for summers.

[Sun Chaser]

As much as I don't like the guy, I really think the Boris years were quite good for weather. Came to power just as we had the hottest day of all time (at that point). Then lockdown spring, Aug 2020 heatwave, near record temps in March 2021, summer 2021 was good for over half the country, two dry sunny winters in 21/22 and 22/23, wonderful spring and summer 2022 where we broke the heat record for a second time. As soon as Truss took office the weather turned unsettled

[Philipsfd]

40 minutes ago, plymsunshine said:

As much as I don't like the guy, I really think the Boris years were quite good for weather. Came to power just as we had the hottest day of all time (at that point). Then lockdown spring, Aug 2020 heatwave, near record temps in March 2021, summer 2021 was good for over half the country, two dry sunny winters in 21/22 and 22/23, wonderful spring and summer 2022 where we broke the heat record for a second time. As soon as Truss took office the weather turned unsettled

 

May and to a lesser extent June have been exceptions in terms of good weather with Boris and unsetled weather since.

May and June have been the two best months of this year, whereas May 2021 was very poor, June 2020 not much better and May & June 2022 were both average. 

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, plymsunshine said:

As much as I don't like the guy, I really think the Boris years were quite good for weather. Came to power just as we had the hottest day of all time (at that point). Then lockdown spring, Aug 2020 heatwave, near record temps in March 2021, summer 2021 was good for over half the country, two dry sunny winters in 21/22 and 22/23, wonderful spring and summer 2022 where we broke the heat record for a second time. As soon as Truss took office the weather turned unsettled

Sorry,  but 2021 was vile. The only good month was April 2021 despite it being very cold. It was clear and sunny.

Other than that, just 2 weeks in June and one hot sunny week in July. The rest was awful.

[Sun Chaser]

On 10/08/2023 at 12:47, Sunny76 said:

Sorry,  but 2021 was vile. The only good month was April 2021 despite it being very cold. It was clear and sunny.

Other than that, just 2 weeks in June and one hot sunny week in July. The rest was awful.

Summer 2021 was good for over half the country. Here it was at least as good as 2014 and better than the likes of 2016/2017/2020.

I admit not so good for the SE. But even the way you describe it makes it sound better than this year. In 2021 I don't remember feeling particularly down about the weather at all except perhaps the first half of May

Edited August 12, 2023 by plymsunshine

[Sunny76]

5 hours ago, plymsunshine said:

Summer 2021 was good for over half the country. Here it was at least as good as 2014 and better than the likes of 2016/2017/2020.

I admit not so good for the SE. But even the way you describe it makes it sound better than this year. In 2021 I don't remember feeling particularly down about the weather at all except perhaps the first half of May

May was mostly cold and dull until the 24th(my birthday, which is usually preceded by some warm or even hot days).

I know the Mays of 2017-20 probably spoilt me, so expectations were high, but since 2021 May has been a mediocre month.