The maximum temperature has been the bigger story of the day here, as it stands at a mere 14.1*C. This beats my previous lowest July maximum record, set on 2nd July 2013 (which went on to be my second hottest July!), by a whopping 0.7*C.
The unusually cold Atlantic is finally making itself felt all the way down here, within around 18 miles of the South Coast.
Weirdly, there five days tied for 3rd place, all maxing out at 15.0*C. I've checked and it's not a rounding error! The dates are 25th and 27th July 2005, 20th July 2007 and 2nd and 7th July 2012.
It's also a curious coincidence that two of my lowest temperatures are both on the 2nd of the month.
I expect that any days of persistent heavy rain in August with the UK stuck on the cold side of the frontal boundary will have a good shot at record low maximums as well.
The current -ve SST anomalies in the N. Atlantic are very impressive, and their alignment produces pretty much the maximum cooling effect on our predominant westerlies:
Of course, that alignment is in part a consequence of the westerlies in the first place.
Interesting to note that if we get any long-fetch southwesterly winds in the near future, they are likely to be exceptionally warm.
That band of large positive anomalies extending west from Europe is as striking as the cold anomalies to the north of it. Some suggest that this represents the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) turning to a negative phase. I'm not sure one way or another, but on the face of it, it appears that the usual transport of heat poleward (as the atmosphere eternally seeks a balance that can never be fully obtained) is being severely interfered with. Has the Gulf Stream taken a detour well south of normal and/or been weakened by the masses of freshwater exiting Greenland (freshwater interferes with the process... a lesson for another day)? Or is it something else.
Suggestions (or solid answers!) will be much appreciated, thanks - please don't hesitate to voice your take on matters 
Whatever the cause, I'd be surprised to see the -ve anomalies weakened much until late in the year. Seems like the ski resorts could well see an early start to the season. Yes, I'm feeling bold tonight!
Originally Posted by: Stormchaser