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graphs      CLIMATE-UK.COM'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  BRITISH  METEOROLOGICAL  SCENE
     MONTHLY  SUMMARY
     No. 618       For     JUNE    2007
   MOSTLY DRY TILL THE 11TH, THEN FREQUENT RAIN, HEAVY AND PROLONGED AT TIMES
Text Box: A sluggish easterly flow covered the UK until the 12th, but the rest of the month was relentlessly cyclonic. Pressure remained relatively high to the north of Scotland throughout, and as a consequence this was the most ‘easterly’ June over the UK in 134 years of records. The UK’s weather was controlled by a blocking anticyclone which was located over Scandinavia until the 4th, to the north of Scotland from the 4th-10th, and near Iceland from the 11th-13th; throughout this period a light east to north-easterly flow covered the British Isles. Atlantic fronts brought prolonged rain to much of Scotland and Northern Ireland on the 2nd/3rd, otherwise all regions were generally dry until the 11th although there were scattered thunderstorms on the 7th with local flooding in Fife and Angus. Throughout this period North Sea coasts were plagued by mist and low cloud, and onshore winds kept daytime temperatures below normal; meanwhile, most southern, central and western districts were predominately warm and sunny with afternoon temperatures typically between 22 and 25°C, and the month’s highest reading of 27.2°C was obtained at Prestatyn on the north Welsh coast on the 11th. There were some cold nights in Scotland around mid-month, and Kinbrace (Sutherland) logged the month’s lowest minimum of -2.5°C overnight 13th/14th. The contrast between east and west during this period was well illustrated by the sunshine aggregates for 2nd-12th of 6 hours at Aberdeen and 120 hours at Tiree. A prolonged fall of pressure during the second week heralded the north-eastward progress of a complex depression across the country between the 14th and 17th. The remainder of the month was relentlessly cyclonic with further active depressions slowly crossing the UK on the 20th-22nd and 24th-25th; a further deep depression approached from the southwest on the 30th. From the 12th onwards most parts of the country had some rain, little or much, on every single day; the exception was northern Scotland which remained largely dry throughout. A prolonged downpour affected southern Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England, and parts of Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia between the 12th and 15th, resulting in serious flooding notably in Birmingham, the towns and cities of West and South Yorkshire, Text Box: and in counties Antrim and Down; 113mm of rain fell atEdgbaston (Birmingham) in 48h on the 14th/15th, 123mm in 60h at Wilsden (West Yorks) and 123mm in 84h at Helens Bay (Co Down). Most districts had showers and local thunderstorms between the 16th and 20th, but on the 21st a brief intrusion of very warm and humid air lifted temperatures to 26°C in the London area before thunderstorms broke out widely during the afternoon and evening. Flooding was severe but short-lived in Shropshire and Herefordshire. A further bout of prolonged and heavy rain was associated with a deepening depression which crossed central districts on the 24th/25th, and once again northern England, the Midlands and Wales were worst hit with dramatic and long-lasting floods in the Sheffield, Doncaster and Hull districts, and also in the floodplains of the rivers Severn and Trent. Fylingdales (North Yorks) recorded 112mm of rain in 48h. The next four days brought showers and sunny intervals, but renewed rain spread across the whole country on the 30th. Mean maximum temperature was 1.0-1.5 degC below the long-term average in parts of northern and eastern Scotland and northeast England, but all other regions were 0.5-1.5 degC warmer than average. Average night-time temperature was 1.5-2.0degC above average in all parts of the UK. Averaged nationally, it was not the wettest June on record although many places in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the Midlands established new local records. Averaged over England and Wales, the month’s provisional total of 140mm was slightly more than twice the long-term average, and the highest since 1860. It was not a wet month quite everywhere: the extreme north of Scotland was exceptionally dry, and Shetland and Orkney collected just 10-20mm. In spite of several sunny days during the first half of June, monthly sunshine aggregates fell short of the average practically nationwide, although Tiree (245 hours) in the Inner Hebrides exceeded the local average by 20 per cent. Averaged nationally, it was the dullest June since 1998, but along the east coast from Norfolk to Orkney the shortfall was unprecedented. Lowest monthly totals were 65 hours at Gogarbank (Edinburgh) and 76 hours at Leuchars (Fife), well under half the respective local averages. Aberdeen airport’s total of 80 hours was some way short of last December’s 88 hours.
                                                                                                                                             
                       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   20.5   +1.5   11.9   +2.0   24.8   09   07.8   27   00   00   00   11.3   10   140   077   1910   284   1957   121   1923   12   16.9   30   070   135   1910   136   1971   03   1925   01   00   00  
  Thorney Island   19.4   -0.1   12.7   +2.2   24.0   19   08.2   02   00   00   02   14.1   02   209   095   1958   311   1975   138   1990   08   16.0   30   084   221   1941   111   1971   06   1976   00   00   00  
  *Wattisham   19.4   +0.8   10.9   +2.0   22.8   09   04.3   28   00   00   02   13.2   02   148   075   1968   283   1989   141   1987   11   13.2   24   081   156   1964   125   1980   07   1976   01   00   00  
  *Wittering   19.2   +1.1   10.9   +1.1   23.3   03   05.3   28   00   00   04   14.9   01   135   066   1955   284   1976   096   1987   11   22.8   16   094   189   1955   153   1982   03   1962   01   00   00  
                                                                     
  Lyneham   19.4   +0.9   11.2   +1.9   24.4   10   06.1   01   00   00   02   15.0   02   166   081   1952   306   1957   113   1997   12   28.8   24   097   164   1945   145   1971   03   1962   02   00   00  
  Ross-on-Wye   20.3   +1.5   11.7   +1.9   26.0   09   06.0   28   00   00   02   12.7   29   154   080   1915   318   1925   117   1990   12   51.1   23   134   269   1859   165   1982   00   1925   02   00   00  
  *St Athan   18.7   +1.0   12.2   +2.2   24.3   10   08.1   02   00   00   02   13.0   05   146   068   1954   323   1957   140   1972   16   12.4   30   065   107   1954   151   1954   05   1975   01   00   00  
  St Mawgan   17.7   +1.1   12.3   +1.8   23.1   09   08.5   01   00   00   02   14.6   08   168   078   1945   310   1975   133   1997   09   19.2   14   115   206   1944   130   1997   08   1962   02   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Edgbaston   19.1   +1.0   11.6   +2.1   24.5   09   07.1   28   00   00   02   13.9   08   129   068   1887   283   1957   095   1923   16   80.8   14   * 183   273   1887   144   1998   04   1942   02   00   00  
  *Valley   18.3   +1.7   12.0   +1.9   24.8   10   08.8   28   00   00   04   14.8   07   170   078   1946   305   1975   134   1987   13   15.4   14   078   148   1941   112   1998   01   1942   01   00   00  
  *Woodford   19.5   +1.5   11.0   +2.2   25.0   09   07.1   28   00   00   03   15.0   06   139   075   1945   285   1957   103   1987   09   25.6   13   127   202   1942   174   1987   12   1942   02   00   00  
  *Watnall   19.0   +0.9   11.0   +1.2   23.8   09   06.5   28   00   00   02   12.9   01   112   055   1948   261   1960   103   1987   12   36.8   24   * 175   350   1942   164   1982   08   1975   01   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Leeming   18.2   +0.1   10.3   +1.3   24.9   11   04.9   28   00   00   05   14.4   01   106   060   1945   298   1957   092   1987   14   69.4   14   * 178   413   1947   148   1982   09   1976   01   00   00  
  *Boulmer   14.4   -1.4   09.8   +1.4   18.4   20   06.2   28   00   00   08   11.5   21   * 082   047   1945   261   1957   127   1982   13   18.6   19   096   192   1945   146   1997   09   1976   00   00   00  
  *Eskdalemuir   16.8   +0.5   08.8   +2.0   24.8   11   02.9   30   00   00   05   10.4   11   090   055   1911   276   1957   082   1912   11   26.6   12   138   145   1911   260   1931   13   1992   01   00   00  
  *Bishopton   17.5   -0.1   10.3   +1.7   24.2   11   05.1   30   00   00   08   13.5   09   099   053   1921   279   1995   089   1966   12   17.4   19   104   179   1921   131   2002   10   1988   00   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Leuchars   14.6   -2.0   09.9   +1.6   19.6   20   04.9   30   01   00   06   10.3   11   * 075   039   1922   264   1949   104   1982   12   43.5   07   * 138   307   1922   115   1931   07   1940   01   00   02  
  *Dyce   14.5   -1.5   09.2   +1.4   18.8   11   03.3   14   01   00   08   12.9   01   * 079   045   1941   245   1970   095   1966   12   22.0   23   109   202   1941   146   1997   14   1982   00   00   01  
  *Stornoway   14.2   -0.1   09.4   +1.3   19.7   01   05.4   26   00   00   02   16.6   15   206   116   1880   278   1970   072   1984   19   13.8   28   035   053   1943   112   1994   15   1982   00   00   00  
  *Aldergrove   17.3   +0.1   10.3   +1.3   24.3   11   06.2   01   00   00   06   13.9   01   131   073   1927   287   1957   103   1980   15   18.6   02   057   083   1927   129   1980   11   1941   01   00   00  
                                                                     
                                                                                                                                             
  Stations marked with an asterisk record sunshine electronically; comparisons      
  with earlier records are therefore somewhat speculative. Thorney Island's   * New lowest   * New highest  
  sunshine figures are from a nearby site.