The running CET for August up to today is, by my calculation, 19.3ºC,
which is now significantly below the 19.6ºC which was needed to put
this summer (J,J,A) on a par with summer 1976. It would need a mean
of about 20ºC for the rest of the month (i.e. mean min 14, mean max 26, say)
to get back in the running.

Of course, we shouldn't forget that, however high this summer comes in
the temperature rankings, it won't be among the driest or the sunniest,
averaged nationally.

Having said that, though, the August rainfall and sunshine figures are
likely to
be quite interesting. E&W Rainfall stands at 5mm (6%) and sunshine
at 177 hours (100%) after 21 days.

Philip Eden