back
graphs      CLIMATE-UK.COM'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  BRITISH  METEOROLOGICAL  SCENE
     MONTHLY  SUMMARY
     No. 582 For    JUNE    2004
   FIRST HALF VERY WARM AND DRY OVER ENGLAND & WALES BUT CHANGEABLE IN SCOTLAND;  SECOND HALF COOL AND UNSETTLED.
Text Box: The first two weeks or so were generally settled with moderately high pressure close to southern Britain and a south-westerly type in occupation further north. An abrupt change around the 17th introduced a northerly type, and the last ten days were mainly cyclonic. A filling depression over England moved away eastwards on the 1st followed by a steady rise of pressure. Pressure was high over southern districts from the 2nd to the 7th while Atlantic fronts crossed Ireland and Scotland, and all areas became temporarily less settled between the 8th and 11th. High pressure returned between the 12th and 15th. Central and eastern regions were cool and cloudy on the 1st with outbreaks of rain, but western districts were quite sunny, and most of the UK enjoyed sunny periods on the 2nd although persistent rain spread to northern and western parts that night and the following day. The next few days were largely dry with variable sunshine although north and west Scotland had further rain at intervals. It became warm where the sun shone, and it was hot over a wide area on the 7th and 8th, the temperature climbing to 31.2ēC at Gravesend, Kent, on the latter date. Isolated thunder showers broke out, chiefly in northeast England, on several evenings. Temperatures dropped over the next few days although it was still pleasantly warm in the east and south; most areas were rather windy with occasional rain or showers; amounts of rain the southern half of the UK were very small, but there was widespread thunder and hail in Scotland. It became very warm again over England and Wales from the 13th-16th (in Scotland, 13th-14th) with the temperature climbing widely to 25-29ēC; it was particularly hot on the south coast on the 15th with the sea-breeze suppressed.
Text Box: A northerly type held sway between the 17th and 21st bringing much cooler weather to all districts with sunshine and showers. At first the showers were mainly light and scattered, but heavier ones with hail and thunder developed on the 20th and 21st. An air minimum of -0.2ēC was recorded at Shap, Cumbria, and a maximum of 7.3ēC at Loch Glascarnoch, Wester Ross, both on the 19th. A vigorous depression (the central pressure of 982 mbar equalled the lowest over England and Wales in June in the last 100 years) crossed Wales and the north Midlands on the 23rd bringing gales to coasts and hills with a gust of 71kn at the Needles, Isle of Wight, and widespread heavy rain including a fall of 81mm in 48 hours at Buxton, Derbys. There was flooding along the River Lossie in Morayshire. The next frontal system brought further heavy rain on the 26th, followed by heavy showers and thunderstorms on the 27th (42mm at Kinloss, Moray), and the weather remained unsettled until the end of the month. The rather cool weather of the last two weeks failed to offset the very warm first half of the month, thus June's mean maximum temperature ranged from near normal in the north and west of Scotland to 2 degC above in southern England, while mean minima were 1-2 degC above normal in all regions. The (provisional) CET was 15.4ēC, 1.0 degC above the 1971-2000 mean, and by this measure only three Junes in the last 25 years, 1982, 1992 and 2003, were warmer. It was a wet and dull month in Scotland, northern England, and most of Northern Ireland, but relatively dry and sunny in southern England. It was the dullest June since 1987 at Aviemore, since 1985 at Tiree, and since 1984 at Stornoway and Kirkwall. The monthly rainfall total of 156.6mm at Kinloss (Moray) meant that it was the wettest June there since the station opened in 1952, and the wettest in the Elgin/Forres district since 1872 when 164mm fell at Elgin.
                                                                                                                                         
                       TEMPERATURE                                SUNSHINE                             RAINFALL                                                       
                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                 
                   
No. of days with grass minimum below 0ēC
                      Highest and lowest totals    
Maximum fall in 24 hrs (beginning 09 h)
                Highest and lowest totals    
Days with snow or sleet
 
Days with fog (Vis <220 yards at 09 h)
 
     
Difference from average
   
Difference from average
             
Days of no sunshine
                      on record for month                         on record for month        
                                                                                         
           
Highest maximum
   
Lowest minimum
         
Maximum duration
       
First year of record
         
Days of no rainfall (0.1 mm or less)
         
First year of record
         
Days with thunder
     
       PLACE  
Mean Maximum
   
Mean minimum
             
No. of air frosts
       
Total for month
                   
Total for month
                   
                               
% of average
                   
% of average
                 
                                                                     
                                   
Highest
   
Lowest
 
Year
             
Highest
   
Lowest
 
Year
       
             
Date