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graphs      CLIMATE-UK.COM'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  BRITISH  METEOROLOGICAL  SCENE
     MONTHLY  SUMMARY
     No. 630       For     JUNE    2008
COOLEST JUNE SINCE 1999; RATHER WET IN THE NORTH AND WEST BUT DRY AND QUITE SUNNY IN THE SOUTH
Text Box: There was no dominant weather type during June 2008; the month began with a period of rather cyclonic weather, succeeded by short anticyclonic, northerly, cyclonic again, and southwesterly spells. Overall, mean sea-level pressure was slightly below normal - by 0 to 3 mbar - over the British Isles and the anomalous flow over the UK was very weakly westerly. The main feature of the pressure anomaly field in the Atlantic/Europe sector was a continued large positive anomaly over Greenland. Slow-moving shallow depressions beneath a broad upper trough prevailed throughout the first week, maintaining unsettled weather with variable temperatures. The 1st was cold and wet in Scotland and northeast England - a high of just 9.9°C at Carter Bar (Roxburghshire) - and rain fell widely and heavily on the 2nd and 3rd leading to local flooding, notably in Oxfordshire where 48mm fell in 48h at both Benson and Charlbury. Northern Ireland, west Wales, Cornwall and Devon were notably wet on the 4th and 5th, and there was further rain in East Anglia and Kent on the 6th. Manston (Kent) collected 166mm of rain in the two weeks ending on the 6th. High pressure took over between the 7th and 10th, and it became fine and very warm with 25°C widely reached, and 26.9°C was recorded at Lee-on-Solent (Hants) on the 8th and at St James’s Park (London) on the 9th. The anticyclone retreated to mid-Atlantic from the 11th-16th allowing a decidedly cool northerly flow to develop over the UK. Showery rain fell frequently in Scotland, and elsewhere in the UK on the 11th, but there were some good sunny periods too. Ground frosts occurred at night, and the air minimum dropped to -0.5°C at Sennybridge (Powys) overnight 15th/16th, while maxima were typically 16-20°C over England and Wales and 12-16°C over Scotland and Northern Ireland. Lerwick (Shetland) climbed no higher than 9.7°C on the 13th. Text Box: From the 17th until the 29th a series of active depressions tracked northeastwards across Ireland and Scotland. Prolonged heavy rain affected many western and northern districts at times, but southern England, the south Midlands and East Anglia escaped much of the rain and enjoyed a good deal of sunshine, although most days remained rather cool. On the 17th-18th, 94mm of rain fell in 48h at Capel Curig (Snowdonia), with 50mm at Keswick and at St Bees Head (both Cumbria); on the 21st-22nd, 85mm fell at Keswick and 66mm at Eskdalemuir (Dumfriesshire); and on the 26th, 77mm of rain was recorded in less than 12h at Ringstone Edge reservoir (above Huddersfield) with 67mm at Blackstone Edge reservoir (above Rochdale). It was also very windy over much of England and Wales on the 22nd, with gusts to 55kn at Loftus (N.Yorks), Squires Gate (Lancs) and Wittering (Cambs). It was particularly cool in northern Scotland between the 22nd and 24th: Loch Glascarnoch (Wester Ross) had a high of just 8.5°C on the 22nd, while Tulloch Bridge logged a minimum of -2.3°C early on the 24th. The last day of the month was mostly dry with sunny periods thanks to a developing ridge of high pressure. Mean monthly temperature was within 1 degC of the long-term average in all regions, but because of the consistent warmth of recent Junes this made it the coolest, averaged nationally, since 1999. Rainfall was well above normal over much of Scotland, northwest England, and north Wales, but below normal in southern England, south Wales and the south Midlands. Percentages ranged from 200-250 locally in Cumbria and the Scottish Borders to 40 along the Channel coast. Monthly totals varied between 233mm at Capel Curig and 18mm at St Catherine’s Point (Isle of Wight). Sunshine duration was well below normal in northern Scotland, but significantly above in most southern districts; monthly aggregates ranged from 95h at Lerwick (Shetland) to 308h at Guernsey airport.
                                                                                                                                             
                       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   19.8   +0.8   11.2   +1.3   26.2   09   07.6   16   00   00   01   11.3   05   188   113   1910   284   1957   121   1923   21   10.3   03   035   065   1910   136   1971   03   1925   00   00   00  
  Thorney Island   19.3   -0.2   11.6   +1.1   26.2   09   06.9   05   00   00   01   14.4   30   243   120   1958   311   1975   138   1990   20   08.2   02   025   063   1941   111   1971   06   1976   00   00   00  
  *Wattisham   18.8   +0.2   09.9   +1.0   24.5   09   03.9   13   00   00   05   15.1   09   190   104   1968   283   1989   141   1987   17   23.8   02   059   108   1964   125   1980   07   1976   01   00   00  
  *Wittering   18.7   +0.5   10.2   +0.4   24.2   09   05.8   14   00   00   02   13.3   09   185   097   1955   284   1976   096   1987   15   07.2   21   035   067   1955   153   1982   03   1962   00   00   00  
                                                                     
  Lyneham   18.4   -0.1   10.1   +0.8   24.5   09   06.2   13   01   00   02   15.3   09   228   120   1952   306   1957   113   1997   20   14.8   03   035   057   1945   145   1971   03   1962   00   00   00  
  Ross-on-Wye   19.6   +0.8   10.2   +0.4   26.0   09   06.0   03   00   00   02   15.3   19   226   127   1915   318   1925   117   1990   21   05.5   11   022   042   1859   165   1982   00   1925   00   00   00  
  *St Athan   17.7   -0.1   11.2   +1.2   23.8   10   07.6   07   00   00   02   14.9   10   219   111   1954   323   1957   140   1972   21   09.8   26   036   056   1954   151   1954   05   1975   00   00   00  
  St Mawgan   16.5   -0.1   11.2   +0.7   18.8   09   07.6   17   00   00   04   15.3   16   262   131   1945   310   1975   133   1997   20   12.4   20   028   047   1944   130   1997   08   1962   00   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Edgbaston   18.7   +0.6   10.9   +1.4   25.3   09   07.2   16   00   00   01   15.2   09   188   127   1887   283   1957   095   1923   17   10.6   02   040   057   1887   183   2007   04   1942   00   00   00  
  *Valley   16.0   -0.6   10.7   +0.6   18.5   02   06.3   16   01   00   01   15.2   08   222   110   1946   305   1975   134   1987   15   28.8   26   082   148   1941   112   1998   01   1942   00   00   00  
  *Woodford   18.0   +0.0   09.1   +0.3   23.7   09   03.3   21   05   00   03   15.2   09   139   081   1945   285   1957   103   1987   14   16.4   26   055   083   1942   174   1987   12   1942   00   00   00  
  *Watnall   18.4   +0.3   10.4   +0.6   24.4   08   06.9   15   01   00   04   14.0   09   146   077   1948   261   1960   103   1987   16   14.8   02   042   081   1942   175   2007   08   1975   01   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Leeming   17.7   -0.3   09.4   +0.4   23.8   08   04.3   21   03   00   02   13.7   20   158   096   1945   298   1957   092   1987   13   11.6   21   066   146   1947   178   2007   09   1976   01   00   00  
  *Boulmer   16.6   +0.8   09.2   +0.8   23.3   09   05.3   21   00   00   03   11.9   20   146   090   1945   261   1957   082   2007   11   20.0   21   070   133   1945   146   1997   09   1976   00   00   00  
  *Eskdalemuir   16.1   -0.2   07.3   +0.5   20.0   09   01.1   21   03   00   00   12.1   04   098   065   1911   276   1957   082   1912   13   52.0   21   162   162   1911   260   1931   13   1992   02   00   00  
  *Bishopton   17.4   -0.2   08.7   +0.1   21.6   07   04.5   21   00   00   03   13.5   14   143   083   1921   279   1995   089   1966   12   29.8   21   087   143   1921   131   2002   10   1988   01   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Leuchars   17.5   -0.9   08.5   +0.2   22.7   08   04.2   15   06   00   02   13.8   04   171   096   1922   264   1949   075   2007   12   19.2   21   058   122   1922   138   2007   07   1940   00   00   00  
  *Dyce   16.3   -0.3   08.8   +1.0   23.8   09   02.8   24   02   00   02   11.7   05   142   088   1941   245   1970   079   2007   09   19.8   21   089   156   1941   146   1997   14   1982   00   00   00  
  *Stornoway   14.4   +0.1   08.6   +0.5   18.3   04   03.3   24   04   00   04   14.4   04   136   083   1880   278   1970   072   1984   05   15.8   25   088   125   1943   112   1994   15   1982   00   00   00  
  *Aldergrove   17.4   +0.2   09.4   +0.4   23.0   09   05.1   05   00   00   01   13.7   03   151   091   1927   287   1957   103   1980   15   06.4   22   041   058   1927   129   1980   11   1941   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.