In the referenced article, "Ian Currie" writes:
I cannot agree Nick and I quote from my previous posting in response to a
Tudor
Hughes excellent post. This July has been a good month in the South. I have
had several engagements putting up a weather display at various weekend
summer shows out in the open and they have all been blessed by fine, dry
weather though sunburn was a problem. Luckily though I was not involved in
anything last Saturday. Since 1976 this July in my area is amongst the top 5
warmest.. Rainfall is only just above par and there have been 16 entirely
dry days and 20 days have exceeded 21C with the lowest 17.9C. Now let me
repeat 1954 July, a poor month. One day above 21C peaking at 21.7C with 15
completely cloudy days and 94mm of rain. Mean temperature was only 14.3C in
my area compared to 18.4C so far this month. Even today with drizzle falling
it is still quite warm currently 18C -16 days were cooler than this in 1954
and there were several days below 15C.

The main thing about this month though has been the apparent lack of
sunshine compared to many in the decade beginning 1989. It's certainly seemed
that way: can anyone back this up? Dry but cloudy summers seems to have been
the trend of the past 5 years or so, in marked contrast to the 1989-97 period.

Nick