.... just got around to looking at the Hurn sunshine figures for June
and setting them against the record as published on the Met Office web
site (starts 1969 for sunshine).

As Philip would say, the usual caveats apply (Kipp & Zonen sensors
[KZS] in use since May 2004, these figures 'rectified' to a pseudo
Campbell-Stokes (CSR) figure using the Kerr/Tabony 'fudge' factors as
published.

The total for June 2010 was 279 hr (KZS), which 'rectifies' to a CSR
figure of 338 hr.

By this measure, June 2010 was the sunniest such-named month in the
1969+ record and the second-sunniest *any* month in that record at
Hurn. The previous sunniest June was in 2006, and this was followed by
the (currently) sunniest *any*-named month of July 2006 (368
hr/CSR-equivalent)

Using the figures published by Ian Currie in his "Dorset Weather
Book", then it's possible that this June just gone is close to or
perhaps exceeds the values for sunshine recorded in 'Bournemouth' in
1925 (site not listed - perhaps King's Park?). This was part of an
extended 'absolutely dry' period (British Rainfall Organisation
definition) across much of England.

Allowing for the caveats, for this area of England anyway, I think we
can say that June 2010 was amongst the 2 or 3 sunniest Junes in over
80 years, and perhaps within the top-5 or so *any*-named sunniest
months in that period.

Martin.

--
Martin Rowley
West Moors, East Dorset (UK): 17m (56ft) amsl
Lat: 50.82N Long: 01.88W
NGR: SU 082 023