Looks like the maxima were below forecast again, around 33 seems to be the highest today.

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

It's all subjective. Personally, and this is my hunch, I actually think we could be in for a cold winter and next summer could be similar to that of 2007, which was the complete opposite of 2006.

We will pay for this prolonged dry spell for sure.

Originally Posted by: moomin75 

Hot weather loses its appeal very, very quickly. I can't wait for this endless, endless summer to end. 

Originally Posted by: Chunky Pea 

The only good news really is that we're losing 3 and a bit minutes of daylight a day, so it gets increasingly harder to sustain the really unpleasant temperatures for very long. Several days with dewpoints in the high teens / low 20s is utterly sapping! And to think, it used to be 17 or 18C DPs that were as high as you would see... it's as if we've all moved a few hundred miles south.

I wouldn't mind as much if it was followed by a 1995/6-style cold spell at Christmas (the last widespread White Christmas in the SE of England with snow falling and settling was 1970), but there are two downsides to that thought: one, it's clearly not going to happen, as it never does and two, if by some fluke it did happen, although I'd be dancing with happiness I know most people would be the exact opposite, for a variety of reasons.

I do wonder, though, whether given the atmopshere's tendancy to get "stuck in a rut", how many more plumes we'll manage to import before it finally becomes cold from the mainland of Europe, as opposed to hot...

Originally Posted by: Retron 

It wouldn’t be so bad if I had nothing to do. If I were on holiday with a nice warm sea to dip into, it would be fine!  32c here again today and I’d be in bed for nine but these past few days it’s been too hot to sleep until after dark. So that doesn’t help!  

Originally Posted by: Caz 

The only good news really is that we're losing 3 and a bit minutes of daylight a day, so it gets increasingly harder to sustain the really unpleasant temperatures for very long. Several days with dewpoints in the high teens / low 20s is utterly sapping! And to think, it used to be 17 or 18C DPs that were as high as you would see... it's as if we've all moved a few hundred miles south.

I wouldn't mind as much if it was followed by a 1995/6-style cold spell at Christmas (the last widespread White Christmas in the SE of England with snow falling and settling was 1970), but there are two downsides to that thought: one, it's clearly not going to happen, as it never does and two, if by some fluke it did happen, although I'd be dancing with happiness I know most people would be the exact opposite, for a variety of reasons.

I do wonder, though, whether given the atmopshere's tendancy to get "stuck in a rut", how many more plumes we'll manage to import before it finally becomes cold from the mainland of Europe, as opposed to hot...

Originally Posted by: Retron 

Looks like the maxima were below forecast again, around 33 seems to be the highest today.

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

Down here in the cooler SW where in the last week it’s been anything but… on the Lizard this afternoon the temperature reached 26c! A mile inland it was 30c with little or no breeze. The night time temperatures have only dipped to 17c as a minimum.

Walking into the sea does not have that cold sting you would expect. It’s warm and swimming is now an enjoyable experience without wearing rubber!!!

Originally Posted by: roadrunnerajn 

Take it from me, a “nice warm sea” loses its appeal when the sea temperature is 30C. Not pleasant. I love swimming in the sea but my favourite swim of the holiday by far was in a spring-fed river in the Corsican mountains that was properly cold. There’s no point in swimming unless it’s at least a bit of a shock when you go in. 

Originally Posted by: TimS 

Yes I was at Holland on Sea yesterday North Essex coast. And the sea was as warm as i can ever remember an English sea. But still refreshing to get into from the hot beach.

.

Originally Posted by: Ally Pally Snowman 

Official SSTs are over 20C on the Essex coast. Add a bit of heat from the beach in shallow waters with the tides and you're probably experiencing 22C which used to be typical in the South of France this time of year 

Originally Posted by: GezM 

I have to say I’ve never understood the “not cold enough to be refreshing” argument. The sea can never be too warm as far as I’m concerned!

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

Take it from me, a “nice warm sea” loses its appeal when the sea temperature is 30C. Not pleasant. I love swimming in the sea but my favourite swim of the holiday by far was in a spring-fed river in the Corsican mountains that was properly cold. There’s no point in swimming unless it’s at least a bit of a shock when you go in. 

Originally Posted by: TimS 

I guess it’s personal preference (like many things in the weather!). I was swimming in the Caribbean 3 weeks ago and the water temperature was about 30°C and it was lovely.

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

I guess it’s personal preference (like many things in the weather!). I was swimming in the Caribbean 3 weeks ago and the water temperature was about 30°C and it was lovely.

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

Out of curiosity in the rankings of the hot UK summers I have collected together the data where I can (the full daily data for 1976 for the entire summer seems impossible to find, so I have only got the 30C+ days there).

For info, listed as year, followed by days above 25C, 28C, 29C, 30C, 32C and 35C in the three summer months.

1976: ?, ?, ?, 17, 15, 5
1995: 61, 40, 31, 27, 12, 1
2018: 59, 33, 27, 24, 6, 2
2022: 38, 24, 17, 11, 5, 2 (up to 9 August).

1995 is still the daddy as far as I am concerned, with a whopping 27 days above 30C, and 40 above 28C. However when talking extreme heat duration (above 35C), 1976 is the champ for now.

After the coming week, I think 2022 is likely to take the "extreme heat" crown from 1976, but 1995 is still the overall summer to rule them all. Shame about the cruddy start to June though - 8 days in the first half of June 95 failed to even reach 20C!

Originally Posted by: Rob K