September 1959 was an exceptionally dry and sunny month for England and Wales with a CET of 14.9 and a rainfall average of just 8.0mm (0.3 inches) (9%).

Scotland
Rainfall: 36%
Sunshine: 146%

Northern Ireland
Rainfall: 47%
Sunshine: 131%

Many places in England and Wales did not record any rain for the first three weeks and parts of East Anglia and southern Devon were completely rainless for the whole month. From 6th to 12th, somewhere in the UK recorded a maximum of at least 80F (26.7C) with Gatwick recording 86F (30C) on the 11th.



September 1959 rainfall totals

Camden Square: 0.08" (4%)
Dover: 0.09" (4%)
Worthing: 0.1" (5%)
Southampton: 0.08" (3%)
Slough: 0.05" (2%)
Oxford: 0.21" (10%)
Southend: 0.13" (8%)
Ipswich: 0.02" (2%)
Lowestoft: trace (0%)
Ilfracombe: 0.40" (12%)
Scilly: 0.04" (2%)
Penzance: 0.11" (3%)
Church Stretton: 0.02" (1%)
Bath: 0.17" (7%)
Worcester: 0.18" (9%)
Birmingham: 0.17" (7%)
Mansfield: 0.07" (3%)
Buxton: 0.17" (4%)
Wakefield: 0.11" (5%)
Manchester: 0.21" (8%)
York: 0.17" (8%)
Scarborough: 0.38" (18%)
Newcastle: 0.76" (32%)
Keswick: 1.23" (21%)
Abergavenney: 0.03" (1%)
Cardiff: 0.25" (7%)
Llandudno: 0.57" (21%)
Douglas: 1.35" (32%)
Dumfries: 1.52" (41%)
Edinburgh: 0.47" (18%)
Prestwick: 1.43" (41%)
Tiree: 2.12" (51%)
Leuchars: 0.44" (18%)
Braemar: 0.64" (22%)
Fort William: 3.13" (45%)
Dyce: 0.62" (20%)
Stornoway: 2.74" (73%)
Lerwick: 1.33" (35%)
Armagh: 1.59" (54%)
Aldergrove:  1.65" (55%)
Londonderry: 1.25" (29%)


Rainfall table for September 1959

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We could be on course for one of the driest Septembers since 1959 bar the odd shower here and there.

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I reckon this September could be close to that.

 

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So far just 1.7mm here

Driest I can find in Cumbria is a place not far from me Brampton Denton House 7.6mm in September 1894

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For consistent summer like weather within the weeks of BST, 1959 for me is unbeaten in my lifetime. Difficult to define in these terms but this made it the best 'summer' overall, that I remember.

My observations seem to miss the morning dew; the total so far this month still sits at zero.

Can't recall a run like this in September, but then again I've only got about 15 years of memory to work from.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29419202

We're on course for the driest September since 1910!

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Drier than being at the In-Laws over Christmas

Just hope it doesn't make up for it in a big way during the end of Autumn.

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http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2014/early-september-stats

We got it. 1959, step aside.

Unless you consider any of England, Wales or Scotland individually, that is... though IMBY a total of just 4.2mm makes it staggeringly dry and the second driest month since my records began in 2003, behind the 3mm total of April 2011.

 

In terms of the cumulative rainfall this year so far, it knocks 2014 down to second place behind 2008, which is a remarkable turn of events considering that 2014 was nearly 200mm ahead of 2008 at the end of June.

 

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It won't be the driest September in the 1766 rainfall series though. That will still be 1959 which is what this thread is based on.

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I noted in the current conditions thread that if we didn't have one wet day at start of the month in 2013, September last year was similar to this year here, on about 20mm - 0.5C cooler though.

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