I thought August 2003 was interesting in my location not just for the heat as we got up to 31.3C on the 9th in the valley but for the night time temps too - early on 5th August the low here was a very sticky 19.0C so bang on 19C, I still remember how uncomfortable it was for sleeping that night and I wondered what it was like in the more built up areas of Oldham, must have been above 20C all night in some parts of town!
In complete absolute contrast to 30th August when I recorded a low of just 3.2C.... felt cold compared to earlier in the month! Really was a contrasting month here.

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The "heatwave" for the Manchester area during that month was not a lot to write home about, not in maximum temperature terms at least.

It only got above 30C once and 28C three times.

Compare that to the 1995 heatwave roughly over the same period when it got to at least 30C, four times and 28C eight times.

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I remember both events (the 1995 heatwave led me to becoming a union rep, as I was in management's faces about temps being too high for working in - I got them to buy 25 fans )

 

I remember the 2003 heatwave more clearly in terms of glorious days. My missus was expecting our first, I'd changed jobs in 2000 and had more flexibility, along with a company car with all petrol paid, and we went to North Wales a few times. One midweek day we were at Rhosneigr, with not another soul on 'our' stretch of the beach. The sea was absolutely flat with not a breath of a breeze, and crystal clear. An absolutely stuning day. I learned the following day that RAF Valley, just down the road, had recorded their highest ever temp that day.

 

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