back
graphs      CLIMATE-UK.COM'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  BRITISH  METEOROLOGICAL  SCENE
     MONTHLY  SUMMARY
     No. 596     For  AUGUST  2005
           A FAIRLY BENIGN MONTH, APART FROM UNSETTLED SPELL 19TH-25TH
Text Box: Mainly anticyclonic conditions prevailed until after mid-month, although there were brief interruptions around the 4th and 13th. A cyclonic/westerly type took over from the 19th-25th but high pressure returned towards the end of the month. Mean monthly pressure anomaly ranged from +3 mbar at Scilly and Valentia to -1 mbar at Lerwick, and there was a diffluent W to NW-ly anomalous flow over the British Isles. A flat ridge of high pressure covered the country on the 1st and 2nd, and although many places were dry there were a few heavy, localised showers. Daytime temperatures were near normal, but it was cold at night with 3.3°C recorded early on the 2nd at Aboyne (Aberdeenshire). A rather changeable and cool west to northwesterly flow developed from the 3rd to the 6th but rainfall amounts were mainly small. Rising pressure on the 6th led to the establishment of a weak anticyclone over the UK until the 9th, but the air in the circulation of this high was of polar origin and the weather, although bright, was decidedly cool in northern and eastern districts. Early-morning minima included 1.4°C at Shap (Cumbria) on the 7th and 0.8°C at Braemar (Aberdeenshire) on the 8th, while maxima on the 9th included 11.9°C at Fair Isle and 12.7°C at Rosehearty (Aberdeenshire). As the ridge declined it became warm for a few days, but there were scattered thunder-showers, one such dropping 53mm on Warcop (Cumbria) late on the 11th. A depression tracked southeast across Scotland on the 13th which was a cool, wet day in most regions but especially in north Wales, northern England, the north Midlands and East Anglia; Hawarden (Flintshire) recorded 45mm. A strong build of pressure across England and Wales resulted in four fine and warm days here from the 15th-18th, the temperature climbing to 29.0°C at Heathrow (London) on the 18th, but Scotland and Northern Ireland were less settled - indeed 45mm of rain fell at Dunstaffnage (Argyllshire) on the 17th. Thunderstorms broke out in advance of an eastward-moving cold front overnight 18th/19th, and heavy rain led to short-lived Text Box: flooding in Leicestershire, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight. Newtown Linford (Leics) recorded 61mm and Portsdown Hill (Hants) 51mm. Much cooler air in the rear of the front led to a minimum of 2.1°C at Braemar on the 19th and again at Redesdale (Northumberland) on the 20th. The 21st was fair and warm over England and Wales courtesy of a transitory ridge, but heavy rain in the north and west spread to the rest of the UK on the 22nd. An exceptionally vigorous depression (down to 960 mbar) tracked between Scotland and Iceland on the 24th bringing further rain to the whole of the UK, and gales to Northern Ireland and Scotland where South Uist and Sule Skerry reported gusts to 59kn. Rainfall totals included 59mm at Tyndrum (Perthshire) and 53mm at Shap. The next two days were cool and showery, and northern Britain remained very changeable until the 29th when a gust of 66kn was logged at Scatsta (Shetland). Southern, central and eastern districts, however became fine and very warm, the temperature reaching 25-28°C on the 29th and 30th, and 32.1°C at Northolt (London) on the 31st - the highest temperature anywhere in the UK this late in the season since 1949. Thunderstorms broke out during the day and 46mm fell at Loch Rannoch (Perthshire). Mean maximum temperature was slightly above average in most regions, but mean minima were slightly below, and the large number of cold nights was in sharp contrast to most recent Augusts; overall it was the coolest August for six years. Averaged nationally, rainfall was about 15% below average and sunshine about 10% above. Less than half the normal rain was recorded in parts of eastern Scotland and northeast England, districts bordering the Irish Sea, and at several places in southwest England, south Wales and the southwest Midlands. The Channel Islands were exceptionally sunny with 322 hours recorded at St Helier (Jersey) - just 11 hours short of the British Isles record for August - but northern Scotland was very dull with only 87 hours of sunshine at Kirkwall (Orkney).
                                                                                                                                             
                       TEMPERATURE                                SUNSHINE                             RAINFALL        
                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                     
                                          Highest and lowest totals                     Highest and lowest totals        
                                              on record for month    
Maximum fall in 24 hrs (beginning 09 h)
                    on record for month    
Days with snow or sleet
 
Days with fog (Vis <220 yards at 09 h)
 
                                                                                         
     
Difference from average
   
Difference from average
 
Highest maximum
   
Lowest minimum
   
No. of days with grass minimum below 0ºC
   
Days of no sunshine
 
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
   
Date
         
Date
         
Year
         
Date
         
Year
           
                                                                     
      ºC       ºC       ºC       ºC             Hrs       Hrs         Hrs       Hrs       mm       mm         mm     mm          
                                                                                                                                             
  *Hampstead   22.3   +0.5   12.1   -0.5   31.3   31   09.1   26   00   00   01   10.4   09   187   109   1910   282   1995   104   1958   16   12.3   24   058   093   1910   184   1975   02   1995   01   00   00  
  Thorney Island   22.2   +0.4   12.7   -0.7   26.3   31   09.0   28   00   00   01   14.1   08   276   120   1958   303   1976   143   1968   18   16.4   18   054   119   1941   141   1960   04   1976   02   00   00  
  *Coltishall   20.3   -0.4   11.5   -0.6   28.0   31   05.9   09   00   00   02   12.2   18   171   091   1979   290   1995   148   2004   14   08.8   19   044   087   1964   160   1996   04   2004   03   00   00  
  *Wittering   21.3   +0.9   11.5   -0.5   30.6   31   08.4   13   00   00   02   12.2   17   177   094   1950   258   1995   090   1971   18   13.8   13   076   139   1948   162   2004   03   1983   03   00   00  
                                                                     
  Lyneham   21.4   +1.0   11.5   -0.4   26.8   30   08.6   23   00   00   00   14.0   08   237   119   1952   297   1995   125   1958   20   09.4   13   041   072   1945   136   1951   02   1995   03   00   00  
  Ross-on-Wye   22.2   +1.3   11.8   -0.4   28.0   30   07.0   21   00   00   00   13.6   08   235   130   1915   307   1995   107   1922   19   08.6   22   028   053   1859   202   1878   04   1936   02   00   00  
  *St Athan   20.2   +0.2   13.0   -0.9   24.9   30   09.1   26   00   00   01   13.4   15   229   109   1954   325   1995   133   1958   20   19.4   04   063   076   1954   202   1997   22   1955   01   00   00  
  St Mawgan   19.3   +0.3   13.4   +0.2   23.7   30   10.7   08   00   00   02   14.1   08   273   126   1945   323   1976   125   1958   16   09.4   24   052   085   1944   189   1958   04   1981   01   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Edgbaston   21.0   +1.2   12.7   +0.3   28.3   31   09.0   13   00   00   00   12.4   09   195   111   1887   282   1995   085   1896   19   13.6   09   039   054   1887   173   1912   06   1940   03   00   00  
  *Valley   18.8   -0.1   13.0   +0.3   22.6   31   07.9   08   00   00   00   13.1   08   195   095   1946   291   1976   123   1948   16   08.0   23   037   062   1941   210   1956   05   1959   00   00   00  
  *Woodford   20.8   +1.1   10.9   -0.3   27.3   31   05.1   07   00   00   00   13.5   07   161   092   1945   284   1995   089   1948   15   18.6   13   063   090   1942   201   1956   07   1976   03   00   00  
  *Watnall   21.0   +0.6   11.8   -0.2   29.3   31   08.1   26   00   00   01   12.8   08   177   094   1948   261   1995   098   1963   20   23.6   18   081   148   1942   154   2004   04   1995   04   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Leeming   20.9   +0.8   10.9   -0.5   27.6   31   04.9   30   00   00   00   12.6   21   164   097   1945   246   1995   086   1954   21   16.7   11   042   055   1945   165   1971   07   1947   04   00   00  
  *Boulmer   18.5   +0.6   10.8   -0.6   24.1   17   06.8   25   00   00   02   11.8   21   159   090   1945   273   1995   096   2004   15   09.8   11   050   074   1945   199   1956   03   1947   01   00   00  
  Eskdalemuir   17.8   +0.1   08.7   -0.5   23.2   31   03.2   25   00   00   02   13.4   20   170   116   1911   260   1947   044   1912   09   38.4   23   125   122   1911   345   1985   01   1947   01   00   00  
  *Bishopton   19.1   +0.1   10.4   -0.1   23.0   08   06.2   07   00   00   04   12.3   20   143   090   1921   254   1995   085   1942   10   27.8   23   102   145   1921   213   2004   00   1947   00   00   00  
                                                                     
  Leuchars   20.0   1.5   10.0   -0.6   24.3   21   05.5   30   00   00   01   13.3   20   158   090   1922   242   1995   097   1963   13   04.6   18   035   060   1922   213   2004   07   1955   00   00   00  
  Dyce   18.3   +0.4   10.3   +0.3   22.9   21   03.3   25   01   00   02   12.7   20   181   112   1941   257   1947   076   1963   13   09.6   27   038   057   1941   162   1962   00   1947   00   00   00  
  *Stornoway   16.2   +0.1   11.0   +0.9   20.7   09   05.5   27   00   00   06   09.9   22   105   070   1880   262   1899   075   1942   05   17.8   23   126   203   1943   203   1982   13   1947   00   00   00  
  *Aldergrove   18.4   0.0   11.4   +0.5   22.1   08   06.6   08   00   00   04   12.6   07   120   080   1927   276   1976   082   1942   13   11.0   17   060   093   1927   161   1956   09   1947   00   00   00  
 
                                                                                                                                             
  Stations marked with an asterisk record sunshine electronically; comparisons      
  with earlier records are therefore somewhat speculative. Thorney Island's      
  sunshine figures are from a nearby site.