Sunshine Level Watch 2024

[B87]

Heathrow is on 56.7 hours of sun for 1-15 July. Atrocious.

The dullest July on record saw 129.9 hours in 1965, and this year is worse.

[SunSean]

 TonyH For some counties, I have to use a hybrid station (the average calculated from sunshine amounts of nearby stations) in order to ensure I have a station for each county as I can't find any official stations for certain counties, including Warwickshire. Not perfect but it's all I can do to get something for every county! Seems to be semi reliable. 

Edited July 16, 2024 by SunSean

[StingJet]

Found another site with Sunshine Stats on Meteociel  - Almondsbury - South Gloucestershire  (now added below), noting that for 1991-2020 Stats Filton is the closest match just to the south of Almondsbury, albeit it appears Filton has been decommissioned 

> 60hrs - Meteociel limited data set, up to and including the 14th of July

(still way below 1991-2020 stats for July)

- Isle of Man (Ronaldsway) - 74.8 hrs  (1991-2020 ~ 203.53 hrs)
- Valley 70.7 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 205.48 hrs)
- St Athan - 69.4 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 220.19 hrs)
- Almondsbury - 68.4 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 220.48 hrs (Filton))
- Shoeburyness - 68.2 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 257.04 hrs)
- Camborne - 65.8 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 198.89 hrs)
- Glasgow - 65.6 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 162.68 hrs)
- Manston - 64.2 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 242.66 hrs)
- Aberdaron - 62.8 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 201.47 hrs)
- Bournemouth - 61.4 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 234.33 hrs)
- Brize Norton - 60.1 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 214.73 hrs)

Edited July 16, 2024 by StingJet

[StingJet]

 B87 That's odd ... OGIMET (manual calc) has  52.5 hrs for LHR and Meteociel 50.1hrs

[TonyH]

 I see so not the actual recorded sunshine at Stratford then, why not just use Wellesbourne which is an official MO station in Warwickshire?

Edited July 16, 2024 by TonyH

[B87]

 StingJet Yes, and once again those values are the raw data, not the true.

For July, multiply the raw by 1.129 for the true value.

Edited July 16, 2024 by B87

[SunSean]

 TonyH I would if I could find the data, can't seem to access sunshine data for Wellesbourne anywhere. If you come across it, please let me know & I shall use that one instead.

[dryfie]

 SunSean Wellesbourne was a manned Met climate station, where sunshine readings (Campbell Stokes) were computed from the sunshine card.   More recently the station became unmanned and an automatic station was installed.   Certainly temperature and rainfall recording equipment was installed, but sunshine/radiation equipment possibly wasn't.   The long term sunshine averages are available on the Met webpages as readings were taken for most of the averaging period.   I recently discovered that, where sites closed completely even as long as 15 years ago, daily temperatures are still being published, even though they were estimates (incredible but true).   Perhaps they do the same for sunshine.  These would not be true readings but an estimate based on readings from nearest other sites.

Just because the Met web page lists include stations as observing, it doesn't mean they have a full suite of sensors.  At worse they may be just temps and rainfall.

[SunSean]

 dryfie Sounds like the numerous "ghost" stations in USA that are being given daily observation readings such as temp etc despite being closed down for years.

[reef]

 TonyH The figures for 1919 listed were for Hull.

[dryfie]

 StingJet Haven't had time to do a full check, but straight away I can see a problem in that on the 2nd Meteociel reported nil sun, whilst Ogimet had 2.8hrs.  The sunniest hour reported by Ogimet on that day was 1900, with 0.8hrs.   Given that the cloud cover was 1/4 of the sky at that time, reckon it can be taken as correct.  The missing 2.8hrs lifts the Meteociel total to 52.9hrs.   The reason this this is now 0.4hrs higher than Ogimet is that Meteociel arrive at their daily sum by adding up all the reported hourly totals.  Ogimet use the more accurate figure reported daily at 0600 for the previous day.

Just checked with the highly regarded Starling's Roost, hoping for a third opinion.  However, I see that their source is Ogimet.

Edited July 16, 2024 by dryfie

[TonyH]

 SunSean well Coventry is central to former Warwickshire prior to 1974.

[StingJet]

 dryfie Thanks for the feedback mate    It's a little frustrating that "we" do not have a "single source of truth" so to speak, as presented to the "public".

[StingJet]

> 70hrs - Meteociel limited data set, up to and including the 16th of July

(still way below 1991-2020 stats for July)

- Isle of Man (Ronaldsway) - 87.1 hrs  (1991-2020 ~ 203.53 hrs)
- Shoeburyness - 77.9 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 257.04 hrs)
- Valley 76.2 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 205.48 hrs)
- St Athan - 74.6 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 220.19 hrs)
- Camborne - 73.2 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 198.89 hrs)
- Manston - 72.4 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 242.66 hrs)
- Glasgow - 72.2 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 162.68 hrs)
- Almondsbury - 71.1 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 220.48 hrs (Filton))

- Bournemouth - 67.2 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 234.33 hrs)
- Aberdaron - 66.6 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 201.47 hrs)
- Brize Norton - 63.6 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 214.73 hrs)

Likely changes over the course of the next few days with more "settled" / "warmer" weather on the cards , focused more so on the east, south, and south east of the UK , albeit a large swathe of the UK should enjoy "decent" weather thru' Wednesday and Thursday, with variable amounts of cloud,  prior to LP and associated weather fronts making in roads into the UK from the west, Thursday and into Friday

Edited July 17, 2024 by StingJet

[StingJet]

> 90hrs - Meteociel limited data set, up to and including the 19th of July

(still way below 1991-2020 stats for July)

- Shoeburyness - 113.8 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 257.04 hrs)
- St Athan - 108.6 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 220.19 hrs)
- Almondsbury - 104.7 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 220.48 hrs (Filton))
- Manston - 104.4 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 242.66 hrs)
- Bournemouth - 102.5 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 234.33 hrs)
- Isle of Man (Ronaldsway) - 100.1 hrs  (1991-2020 ~ 203.53 hrs)
- Exeter 2 - 98.3hrs (1991-2020 ~ 193.78 hrs - Exeter Airport))
- Camborne - 95.9 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 198.89 hrs)
- Brize Norton - 94.7 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 214.73 hrs)
- Yeovilton - 93.4 hrs ((1991-2020 ~ 205.27 hrs)
- Charlwood - 90.6 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 215.95 hrs)

As an example St. Helier, Jersey is where many of the sunny UK spots should be at this stage of July (based on 1991-2020 stats)   with a sunny 151.7 hrs

Edited July 20, 2024 by StingJet

[richie3846]

 StingJet it's always difficult to predict sunshine amounts ahead of time, yet it does look like many places should add on at least average sunshine onto the tally over the next week. I suggest most will end the month a little below average, but nothing exceptional. Zilch added on today round here though

[SunSean]

July 1st to 20th (doesn't include yesterday)

Amazingly, my location is on top. Improvements from earlier in the month but most places still way below average for sunshine. 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

Back down the list I go lol

[reef]

We've just crept over the 100 hours mark this morning. Considering its the 23rd and the 1991-2020 average for the month is 200 hours, we're going to end up quite a way below normal.

[TwisterGirl81]

 SunSean yep the sunny periods this week seem to have been downgraded a lot, I was hoping we’d at least reach average this month but too much forecasted cloud this week that I think it’ll be asking too much, even next week looks to have down graded sun amounts. What rotten luck this country has had this year weather wise 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 TwisterGirl81 Just this year???!

[Terminal Moraine]

70.2 hrs here in the first 23 days of July which is 61% of the average for this stage of the month. A few sunnier days over the past week has brought the percentage up a bit but the total still looks like being well below average by the end of the month. 5 completely sunless days so far, the most in July since 2012 which also had 5.

[StingJet]

Ok .. up to and including Friday 26th of July:
Average sunshine across the UK for 1991-2020 Avg is 173.44hrs , therefore to the 26th the average would be (173.44/31 x 26) = 156.87hrs 
I'll make the stats cut a 150hrs then (already thinking not many stations to report on):

> 150hrs - Meteociel limited data set, up to and including the Friday 26th of July
 

Shoeburyness ~ 158.8 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 257.04 hrs) @62% relative to the whole month 

& that appears to be it .. Shoey the only spot in the UK to be above the UK 1991-2020 sunshine average for July 2024. That said, Shoey relative to its own stats for July,  Shoey would need to be at 215hrs at this stage of July to be average, currently at 73.5% relative to the month to the 26th

The chasing pack:

Manston ~ 145.3hrs (1991-2020 ~ 242.66 hrs) @59%
St. Athan ~ 134.6 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 220.19 hrs) @61%
Weybourne ~ 130.4 hrs (1991-2020 ~ n/a, Hemsby ~ 228.73 hrs) @57%
Almondsbury ~ 130.3 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 220.48 hrs (Filton)) @59%
Isle of Man (Ronaldsway) ~ 129.5 hrs (1991-2020 ~ 203.53 hrs) @63%
Wattisham ~ 128.8hrs (1991-2020 ~ 218.26 hrs) @59%

Fortunately the next few days to at least months end, should deliver something akin to decent "summer weather" for the majority of the UK , lifting temps & sun quota to something close to or above average for the remainder of July .. happy days

Edited July 27, 2024 by StingJet

[B87]

Looks like Heathrow just failed to get to 200 hours. Something around 198-199 hours looks like the final figure.

1-15 July saw 56 hours of that, 16-31 July 142 hours!

[SunSean]

July 2024 Sunshine  

The month started off pants but the 2nd half was excellent for many areas. My area finishes 1st for I think the first time since I started doing these tables lol.

The UK long range Met station table has Stornoway rock bottom on a vomit inducing 69 hours of sunshine!

How'd your area do?