So it appears that this is going to become a summer of very different
opinions depending on where you are. It's probably only very small areas of
the S.E that have had the constant high temperatures and dry weather since
the beginning of June. It hasn't been particularly more sunny than usual,
just a bit above average. You don't have to go far to the North and West of
here either to get more "normal" conditions.
Can't say I've noticed a S.E bias on the reporting either. All I seem to
hear on the forecasts is "more rain and showers on the way" !

Dave

I think you can go quite far west, as long as you keep well south of the M4,
as far as Exeter to find things have been (overall) sunny, dry and warm.

Averages & totals so far this summer (1st June to 6th Aug)

Min 12.0°C
Max 22.8°C
Mean 17.4°C
Rain 103.9 mm
Sun 552 hours

The rainfall total, whilst being a little above the average paints a
different story when you realise that most of that total has fallen on just
a few days leading to very long, dry spells. The soils around here have
remained dry throughout the summer. Even after a heavy spell of rain, a
couple of days later everything is dry again.

The weather has been quite good for the Sidmouth Folk Week which ended
yesterday evening. The camping fields around the town are all dust dry.

Certainly not as hot as 2006 (so far) though August (mean 17.0°C) wasn't up
to much with generally unsettled and cool days. If this August turns out to
be a good one, then this summer could end up warmer, drier and sunnier than
2006.
_____________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk

On 7 Aug, 12:31, "Nick Gardner"
wrote:
I think you can go quite far west, as long as you keep well south of the M4,
as far as Exeter to find things have been (overall) sunny, dry and warm.

Averages & totals so far this summer (1st June to 6th Aug)

Min * *12.0°C
Max * *22.8°C
Mean *17.4°C
Rain * *103.9 mm
Sun * *552 hours

The rainfall total, whilst being a little above the average paints a
different story when you realise that most of that total has fallen on just
a few days leading to very long, dry spells. The soils around here have
remained dry throughout the summer. Even after a heavy spell of rain, a
couple of days later everything is dry again.

The weather has been quite good for the Sidmouth Folk Week which ended
yesterday evening. The camping fields around the town are all dust dry.

Certainly not as hot as 2006 (so far) though August (mean 17.0°C) wasn't up
to much with generally unsettled and cool days. If this August turns out to
be a good one, then this summer could end up warmer, drier and sunnier than
2006.
_____________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amslhttp://www.ottervalley.co.uk

The fronts have been very weak haven't they? Quite a number seem to
have gone over this month, but only 4.8mm has fallen so far, with a
fair amount of sunshine inbetween. It's also been slightly warmer than
the 1st week in July. I think the 2nd week in July saw the poorest
weather of the summer here.

Today, thin patchy cloud, main sc, with good sunny spells inbetween.
19.8c @ 12:45.

Graham
Penzance

The fronts have been very weak haven't they? Quite a number seem to
have gone over this month, but only 4.8mm has fallen so far, with a
fair amount of sunshine inbetween.

Aye Graham, when I've looked at the Met Office charts for this summer and
they've shown weather front after weather front passing over but apart from
a bit of cloud build up, you would not have known they were there.

The worst part of July for here was (and the only really unsettled weather
of the month) from the 13th to the 17th but apart from the 13th (coldest day
of the month with 19.6°C), all those days still managed 21°C, such was the
consistent warmth (but not heat) of the whole month.

Sunshine now after a short sharp shower.
_____________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk

On 7 Aug, 12:31, "Nick Gardner"
wrote:
I think you can go quite far west, as long as you keep well south of the M4,
as far as Exeter to find things have been (overall) sunny, dry and warm.

Averages & totals so far this summer (1st June to 6th Aug)

Min * *12.0°C
Max * *22.8°C
Mean *17.4°C
Rain * *103.9 mm
Sun * *552 hours

The rainfall total, whilst being a little above the average paints a
different story when you realise that most of that total has fallen on just
a few days leading to very long, dry spells. The soils around here have
remained dry throughout the summer. Even after a heavy spell of rain, a
couple of days later everything is dry again.

The weather has been quite good for the Sidmouth Folk Week which ended
yesterday evening. The camping fields around the town are all dust dry.

Certainly not as hot as 2006 (so far) though August (mean 17.0°C) wasn't up
to much with generally unsettled and cool days. If this August turns out to
be a good one, then this summer could end up warmer, drier and sunnier than
2006.
_____________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amslhttp://www.ottervalley.co.uk

The warmth and dryness are not quite as confined as you and Dave
imagine. Here in NW Oxfordshire, and defined as being within the
Midlands as far as Met Office UK climatology is concerned, it has, so
far, been the third warmest summer since 1995, (only 2003 & 2006 were
warmer).
However, the lack of summer rain has been more noteworthy. Total
rainfall for June & July at only 37.3mm make it the driest two such
summer months since 1995, and so far this August has only added
another 1.9mm.
I don't record sunshine, but looking at the Met Office anomaly maps it
has been close to average overall, slightly above in June, but a
little below normal last month.

Dick Lovett

Charlbury (Oxfordshire Cotswolds) 122m

In article ,
Nick Gardner writes:
Aye Graham, when I've looked at the Met Office charts for this summer
and they've shown weather front after weather front passing over but
apart from a bit of cloud build up, you would not have known they were
there.

Aarrghh! You've been infected with the dreaded "weather front" virus by
the BBC, who don't seem to realise that in the context of a weather
forecast that is the only sort of front they can be.
--
John Hall

"I don't even butter my bread; I consider that cooking."
Katherine Cebrian

"John Hall" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Nick Gardner writes:
Aye Graham, when I've looked at the Met Office charts for this summer
and they've shown weather front after weather front passing over but
apart from a bit of cloud build up, you would not have known they were
there.

Aarrghh! You've been infected with the dreaded "weather front" virus by
the BBC, who don't seem to realise that in the context of a weather
forecast that is the only sort of front they can be.
--

To inject a bit of science. Most summer fronts are of the split variety.
This has been the case this year with one or two notable exceptions. A split
cold front is where an upper front runs ahead producing precip. aloft which
can evaporate before reaching the ground. The surface front is very weak
being just a band of cloud and patchy rain but marking the surface
transition to cooler air. In between is a shallow moist zone of cloudy
drizzly conditions. Occasionally a jet streak will overrun the shallow moist
zone and, with added vorticity, increasing instability leading to heavy rain
and sometimes thunder. This has happened a few times this summer. It looks
like magic when models do that as rain seems to come from nowhere in an
otherwise weak frontal system, but it is all well understood 20th Century
science. The term "weather front" is a massive simplification. There are
many many types of front.

Will
--

On Sunday 08 August 2010 08:52, Will Hand scribbled:

The term "weather
front" is a massive simplification.

More a massive complication when
used in a *weather* forecast, as John pointed out. ;-)

--
Graham Davis,
Bracknell, Berks. E-mail: "newsman", not "newsboy".
"It pays to keep an
open mind, but not so open your brains fall out." - Carl Sagan