The UK in July

Mike Hulme on last month’s weather

 

DAYTIME TEMPERATURES

Temperatures in the UK returned to above their seasonal average in July, apart from the very far north of Scotland. The southwest was the warmest region and Ross-on-Wye was nearly 3° C above its July average. Daytime temperatures for each day from the 8th-12th averaged over 22° C across the country. Only three days - 14th, 21st and 22nd - were colder than the monthly normal. Temperatures in the UK during 1999 continue to average more than 1° C above average and only six months in the last 24 have been cooler than average (see Graph).

 

RAINFALL 

Not surprisingly given the warm temperatures July was a dry month in the UK. This was especially so in the south where rainfall totals were less than half of their usual July levels. Apart from rain during the first week, and again on the 20th, the month was virtually dry everywhere except the north of Scotland. Apart from 1998, none of the last six July's in the UK has recorded more than 70 per cent of the long-term average July rainfall.

 

SUNSHINE

Although sunshine totals were high, they were not exceptionally so. Much of southern Britain enjoyed 30 per cent more sunshine than average, but sunshine totals for northwest England and most of Scotland were close to average. The second half of the month was sunnier than the first and a nationwide average of more than 13 hours of sunshine were recorded on the 27th, the sunniest day in the UK for nearly two years.

 

July 1999: Warm, dry and sunny, except northern Scotland

Daytime Temperature: 1.3°C above average; Rainfall: 36% below average; Sunshine: 14% below average.

[all average figures are based on the 1951-80 average]

 

Mean monthly extremes:

 

Warmest Ross-on-Wye 23.5°C

Sunniest Folkestone 300 hours sun

Wettest Eskdalemuir 87mm

Coldest Lerwick 13.6°C

Cloudiest Kinloss 128 hours sun

Driest Guernsey 8mm