England and Wales figures indicate that we've just had
the wearmest first 10 days of September since 1999,
and the driest and sunniest since 1991.

Here in Luton I can make comparisons using data
from my own site and an earlier climat. station
(qualification, MeanMax 23, or Sun 75):

Year MeanMax MeanMin Rainfall Sunshine
2004 24.2 12.1 1.5 90.3
1999 25.5 11.5 0.5 82.3
1991 24.2 10.9 0.0 86.8
1973 24.2 13.3 2.0 65.4
1959 23.4 9.5 0.0 75.5
1949 24.5 12.7 0.3 77.3
1947 23.3 11.1 0.0 63.8
1940 23.3 9.4 2.3 80.4
1933 23.5 12.5 0.0 95.5
1929 25.6 13.5 0.0 85.3
1928 21.2 10.0 9.3 85.2
1923 18.8 6.8 2.6 79.7
1921 23.7 9.6 1.5 77.3
1915 18.2 7.4 7.5 76.8
1914 24.4 10.0 6.9 79.3
1911 26.1 10.4 0.2 92.4
1906 25.3 12.5 3.5 88.2
1898 25.7 12.2 0.4 80.2
1895 23.4 10.7 22.0 81.1
1880 24.1 11.7 1.8 -

At the other extreme:
Coldest nights
1986 16.6 5.6 4.3 59.0
Coldest days
1965 15.4 8.1 43.9 40.6
Lowest sunshine
1945 16.8 11.8 27.2 8.4
Most rain
1896 18.1 12.9 87.9 17.0

(c) Philip Eden