"N R Whitelegg" wrote in message
...
I know there were 7 consecutive very sunny days, but overall I would
rate
this a disappointing July in central southern England.

Those 7 sunny days were the only truly sunny days of the month
(assuming
no more), there have been a large number of cloudy days and what looks
like
a persistent wet spell for the last 9 days of the month.

I'd say it was little better than 2002 down here in the south (July
2002 had
a similar number of warm sunny days, about 5 mid month and another 2
at
the end; and a similar wet spell for the first 10 days of the month)
and
beaten for warm, sunny days by 2001, 1999, 1997, 1995, 1994 in the
last 10
years; 1996 was also narrowly better. However, it was significantly
better
than the abysmal July 1998 which just had one all month! Like many
recent
months of July though, it has been an unexciting month for storms -
these
days November seems a more thundery month than July!

Here's hoping for a warm sunny August broken by a few big storms...

Nick

I don't know where in central southern England you live but July 2003
has been much better that July 2002 so far in St Albans.

The comparative figures so far (for July 2003 up to the 26th) are

2002 2003

Ave max 22.4°C 24.2°C
Mean 16.9°C 18.3°C
Av min 11.9°C 12.6°C
Rain 72.4mm 19.0mm
Max 32.2°C 32.4°C

This July has been much warmer and drier - the lawn is quite brown now.


Alan Gardiner
Chiswell Green, St Albans
N51:44 W00:22
101m ASL

In the referenced article, "Alan Gardiner" writes:


I don't know where in central southern England you live but July 2003
has been much better that July 2002 so far in St Albans.

Southampton. I don't want to get into one of those debates again :-) but
I think of central S England as Hants, Berks, SE Wilts, east Dorset, IOW,
W Sussex.

The main problem with this particular wet spell compared to "normal"
summer wet spells is the frequency of fronts, and non-thundery nature of
the frontal rainfall. The more typical summer pattern for wet spells is for
a low to settle over the area for several days, producing a more showery
pattern, with only around one front/week.

Nick