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| June 2006 monthly assessment issued 5 July 2006. |
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Monthly summaries available for: England
and Wales | Scotland | Northern
Ireland
Homogenous time series based upon selected station data:
CET | England and Wales
rainfall
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| A warm, very dry and sunny month. |
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Diary of highlights
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1st to 10th: High pressure dominated the weather
through this period, centred off southern Ireland on
the 1st but migrating over the North Sea by the 5th.
Many places stayed dry with good spells of sunshine,
Tenby (Pembrokeshire) recording 14.5 hours on the 2nd,
but thundery showers developed over the Midlands and
southern England on the 4th and the 7th. Temperatures
were generally on the warm side, reaching 25.3 °C
at Southampton (Hampshire) on the 4th and 27 °C
in Ross-on-Wye (Herefordshire) on the 8th. Onshore winds
made it cooler on the east coast at times, the temperature
only reaching 10 °C at Lowestoft (Suffolk) on the
1st and 12.6 °C at Loftus (Redcar and Cleveland)
on the 5th. The night of the 5th/6th recorded a ground
frost across parts of Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
11th to 15th: A more unsettled spell as a cold
front slowly moved across the area and became stationary
over south-east England on the 13th and 14th. This brought
some welcome rain to most places, over 25 mm falling
in parts of Devon on the night of the 11th/12th. On
the 12th temperatures hit 32.4 °C in central London
and the heat in the south and east set of thunderstorms
across the Midlands and Yorkshire. 30 mm of rain fell
at Folkestone (Kent) on the 14th with temperatures at
Margate (Kent) only reaching 13.4 °C. The same day
behind the cold front Falmouth (Cornwall) was sunny
with a temperature of 20.6 °C.
16th to 18th: A ridge of high pressure built in behind the cold front to bring a return to dry and sunny weather for southern England and south Wales, 15.3 hours of sunshine at Torquay on the 16th and a high of 28.7 °C in London on the 17th. However during this period northern England and north Wales were cloudier with some light rain or drizzle at times.
19th to 22nd: A deep area of low pressure developed
in the Atlantic on the 19th in association with ex-tropical
storm Alberto. This produced some unusually strong winds
for June with Capel Curig (Gwynedd) recording a gust
of 54 knots on the 20th and gusts generally 40-45 knots
across Wales and northern England on the 21st and 22nd.
On the night of the 22nd, noctilucent cloud was reported
widely across central and southern England.
23rd to 27th: Most places saw some rain during
this period as a low pressure area became centred over
south-west England. The main rain occurred on the 25th
and 26th when heavy thundery showers developed, 10.6
mm of rain falling in one hour at Camborne (Cornwall)
and 11.0 mm in one hour at St Athan (Vale of Glamorgan)
on the 26th. There were reports of localised flooding
in the Penzance area, with a local report of over 75
mm falling in Penzance on 26th. A well defined funnel
cloud was photographed near Princetown on Dartmoor,
and the rain caused a virtual washout of the first day
of Wimbledon. North-easterly winds on the 26th held
temperatures down at 12 or 13 °C over eastern England.
28th to 30th: High pressure kept southern and
eastern counties of England dry, very warm and sunny,
temperatures reaching 29.2 °C in central London
on the 30th. In contrast it was cloudier at times further
north and west as a waving cold front ran across Ireland
and sent showery outbreaks of rain over north-west England
and north Wales, with temperatures only reaching 19
°C on Anglesey.
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| Statistical details (using best
available data/estimates): Updated October 2006 |
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England & Wales Mean Temperature Series (series
began in 1914).
The provisional mean value for the month is 15.5 °C,
which is 2.0 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which
is in the well above average category. Joint 3rd warmest
in series.
England & Wales Rainfall Series (series began
in 1914).
The provisional total for the month is 25.6 mm, which
is 40% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well
below average category. Driest since 1995.
England & Wales Sunshine Series (series began
in 1929).
The provisional total for the month is 229.7 hours, which
is 124% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well
above average category.
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| Anticyclonic, dry and sunny, apart from cyclonic spell in third week. |
| Diary of Highlights
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For the first eight days a large anticyclone covered
the British Isles but over Scotland a weak front affected
parts of the north and east at times. The front brought
a band of cloud and slight rain that depressed temperatures
so that on the 3rd the maximum at Loch Glascarnoch was
11 °C. However, over much of central, southern and
western Scotland it remained dry and warm with plenty
of sun and on the 6th the temperature rose to 26 °C
at Leuchars.
From the 9th to the 11th the anticyclone was over the
North Sea and south to south-easterly winds covered Scotland.
There was haar near the east coast but elsewhere it was
hot and sunny with the temperature reaching 28 °C
on the west coast on the 10th. During the preceding and
following nights the minimum temperature was 18 °C
at South Uist and Aultbea respectively.
On the 12th and 13th the fine weather broke down as an
Atlantic depression brought a band of rain and gusts reached
54 m.p.h. at Loch Glascarnoch and Baltasound. However,
pressure soon recovered from the south so that fair weather
was renewed on the 14th and 15th.
Warm and humid air brought cloud and light rain on the
16th and 17th. On the 18th a depression advanced east
towards the north of Scotland, pushing a band of rain
east across the whole country, with Port Ellen on Islay
receiving 31 mm. The next low was even deeper and rain
associated with its front crossed the country on the 20th
before returning in its rear the next day. Kinlochewe
recorded a two-day rainfall total of 95 mm and gusts reached
56 m.p.h. at Barra. It was very cool with the temperature
reaching only 12 °C at Lochranza on the 21st.
There was a slow recovery in the weather during the next few days as the wind eased, but it remained mostly cloudy with some showers. On the 22nd the maximum temperature at Loch Glascarnoch was 11 °C.
On the 25th high pressure built to the west of Scotland
and moved slowly east, bringing four days of fair weather
to much of the country, especially the west. The air in
the circulation of the anticyclone was of cold origin
and on the 26th the temperature at Altnaharra fell to
-1 °C.
A front with its attendant belt of cloud and light rain moved slowly east across
Scotland on the 29th and 30th.
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Statistical details (using
best available data/estimates): Updated October 2006
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Scotland Mean Temperature Series
(series began in 1914).
The provisional value for the month was 12.7 °C, which
is 1.6 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in
the well above average category.
Scotland Rainfall Series (series began in 1914).
The provisional total for the month was 74.9 mm, which
is 87% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the close
to average category. Driest since 1996.
Scotland Sunshine Series (series began in 1929).
The provisional total for the month was 176.5 hours, which
is 110% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the above
average category.
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| Very dry and warm, even hot during the
first ten days. Unsettled and much cooler for a time during
the third week. |
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Diary of Highlights
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The fine spell, established by the end of May continued
for much of the first two weeks of June. Sunny skies dominated
many areas and there was no measurable rain anywhere until
the morning of the 12th.
Temperatures rose into the low twenties during the first
5 days and the period between the 6th and the 11th was
very warm or even hot with temperatures frequently and
widely reaching 25 or 26 °C. The highest value of
the month, 27 °C occurred at Derrylin in Co Fermanagh
on the 8th.
Apart from some well scattered showers in the west on
the 12th the dry, often bright and sometimes sunny weather
continued until the 17th. Temperatures had cooled somewhat
but were still above average, frequently between 18 and
21 °C.
The most unsettled period of the month occurred between
the 18th and 23rd when a deep area of low pressure tracked
to the north-west of Ireland. This brought showers or
longer periods of rain and unusually windy weather for
mid-summer with westerly winds reaching gale force around
the 21st/22nd.
Quieter weather returned between the 24th and 28th with
some pleasant days and it was mainly dry once again. Some
showery rain developed on the 29th and early on the 30th
but the last day of the month brightened up with warm
sunshine to end the month and temperatures again lifted
to around 22 °C in places.
The month was notably dry in many areas and at Armagh,
the monthly rainfall total of 14.6 mm made it the driest
June since 1942.
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Statistical details (using
best available data/estimates): Updated October 2006
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Northern Ireland Mean Temperature Series (series
began in 1914).
The provisional value for the month was 14.2 °C, which
is 1.7 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in
the well above average category.
Northern Ireland Rainfall Series (series began
in 1914).
The provisional total for the month was 36.3 mm, which
is 50% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well
below average category. Driest since 1995.
Northern Ireland Sunshine Series (series began
in 1929).
The provisional total for the month was 190.8 hours, which
is 120% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well
above average category. Sunniest since 1995.
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| Homogeneous
series based upon selected station data: |
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Central England Temperature (series begins in
1659).
CET
Index
England and Wales Rainfall (series begins in 1766).
EWP
Index
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| Note: All values are provisional based
on data available at the time. |
