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Crepuscular Ray
01 September 2024 16:40:09
4th day of  Portugal holiday and 4th day of 30 C and ☀️😎 Magic!.........It's 15 C back in Edinburgh 🤭
Jerry
Edinburgh, in the frost hollow below Blackford Hill
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
02 September 2024 16:59:33
Coolest UK summer since 2015

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/cdd7pzdr22jo 

Includes a fair amount of Met Office data. Should help us in the south to understand why our friends in the north feel they've had a miserable summer - and vice versa.


War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
Matty H
03 September 2024 05:55:33

Coolest UK summer since 2015

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/cdd7pzdr22jo 

Includes a fair amount of Met Office data. Should help us in the south to understand why our friends in the north feel they've had a miserable summer - and vice versa.

Originally Posted by: DEW 


Despite one or two on here insisting this was another notably hot summer, I think most of us knew it wasn’t. It hasn’t been awful, and there’s been a fair bit of dry weather, but a lack of notably hot spells has been very noticeable for most compared to more recent summers 
johncs2016
03 September 2024 06:14:52

Coolest UK summer since 2015

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/cdd7pzdr22jo 

Includes a fair amount of Met Office data. Should help us in the south to understand why our friends in the north feel they've had a miserable summer - and vice versa.

Originally Posted by: DEW 


I didn't give the summer any more than 3 out of 10 in the statistics which I posted on the summer discussion thread that has now been moved from this forum into the classic threads forum.

Those Met Office statistics fully back up my reasons for doing so because in order for me to be able to say anything other than the fact that it wasn't much of a summer overall, it needs to be warmer than average in my books and that certainly wasn't the case.

That same scenario also applies to each winter as well except that for the winter, it needs to be colder than average in my books.

However, I did also notice that a number of members, especially those in the south of England marked the summer a lot higher than I did, and actually classed that as a fairly decent summer overall and I can equally fully understand their reasons for doing so.

The north of Edinburgh, usually always missing out on snow events which occur not just within the rest of Scotland or the UK, but also within the rest of Edinburgh.
briggsy6
03 September 2024 08:53:56
Surprised the Met Off has called this the coolest summer since 2015 considering temps reached 35c in August. 
Location: Uxbridge
Jiries
03 September 2024 09:23:51

Surprised the Met Off has called this the coolest summer since 2015 considering temps reached 35c in August. 

Originally Posted by: briggsy6 


This time they were right it was a coolest summer as majority of population did not see this isolated 35C compare to 1995, 2003, 2006 2018 was wide spread 35 plus temperatures under proper nationwide heatwaves with sunny days. This summer is very poor one, very dull, no sunny days, no plus 30C temps only seen in Philippines for 2024 and no prolonged settled one. 0/10.
johncs2016
03 September 2024 09:36:41

Surprised the Met Off has called this the coolest summer since 2015 considering temps reached 35c in August. 

Originally Posted by: briggsy6 


Even back in 2015 though, there was still an isolated heat spike which led to the temperature briefly getting into the 30s°C in SE England.
The north of Edinburgh, usually always missing out on snow events which occur not just within the rest of Scotland or the UK, but also within the rest of Edinburgh.
Jiries
03 September 2024 10:05:26

Even back in 2015 though, there was still an isolated heat spike which led to the temperature briefly getting into the 30s°C in SE England.

Originally Posted by: johncs2016 


I completely hate those heat spikes, it very bad move even for a fun to get stupid 35C on 1st July 2015 and last month in Cambridge because you will get hit with days and days of cloudy weather which always happen before and after heat spikes.

This current heat spike is no exception as it now infected this early part of September from last month.   Hope this is very last heat spike and not to come back again future summers.   Seem very cold outside as only 20C in the conservatory but should expect to reach over 30C tomorrow with fresher air arrives.  Last over 30C was 35.5C last Friday under non-HP cell.
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
03 September 2024 10:09:27

Surprised the Met Off has called this the coolest summer since 2015 considering temps reached 35c in August. 

Originally Posted by: briggsy6 


It's the average they're considering, which is reasonable, not an isolated peak  
War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
03 September 2024 10:31:26
Ratings for Summer 2024 can still be posted in the 'Summer moaning and gloating' thread. Although its been moved to the 'Classic Threads' forum, it isn't actually closed.
War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
snowtastic
03 September 2024 13:00:17
Here in Stafford it's been pretty crap since late September, last year - Rain interrupted by showery rain, with some light rain showers, but rain later.

There was one notably cold winter's day; mid December - I cycled to Stoke via the canal path and arrived as it began to snow (A "skiers folly" snow event).

Over the winter and early spring, the local Parkrun course was on the "B" route for about 3 months due to atypical flooding. I don't know the technical terms, but it was water "coming up", i.e. the water table was so high it caused a perpetual flood on the route.

The bike and walking routes were a bog for months (much longer than usual), then the undergrowth/overgrowth went mental.

Even now, where I'd expect Cannock Chase to be "blown out", it's "dry" but not "dry, dry" and it wont take many more days of rain (like yesterday) before the perma puddles form.

Been here about 8 years and never experienced such a cacky 12 months.

This summer has rarely been "hot" in comparisons to previous years and yes, there have been a (very) few dry weeks, but these have been book-ended with daily showers or outright downpours.

In my experience, its running up there with the 18 months of Autumn that was 2012/13.

Looking at 30 day forecast (yes, I know), it looks poor.

To the South East of Stafford is a low lying area I think is called Radford Meadows.
Over the winter it floods. This last winter and spring, it became an inland sea.
It took an extraordinarily long time to drain and, it seemed, there remained a small area flooded (or at least “very boggy”) up to about four weeks ago. Again, in our experience of Stafford, this seems unprecedented.

Basically, it’s been a cack summer. Really poop.
Posters in the South East clearly have had a very different experience, jammy gits.
MRazzell
03 September 2024 13:09:04
5 / 10 here in East-Sussex, this summer.

We have had some pleasant days, but all too often these have occurred during the week when many of us are working so of no real benefit.

A lot of wind this summer. a. lot. of. wind. - I usually expect a few gusty days but the garden has been absolutely hammered.

A lot of cloud too, in fact i can scarcely remember a day this entire summer that has been 100% cloud free. Often days have either started, or ended cloudy. On many occassions i've settled in the garden, early evening, hoping to enjoy the last of the sun, or do some stargazing, only for mucky cloud to drift in and spoil the moment.

More rain than i can ever remember, too. My region was subject to some quite significant and localised rain with showers rolling in off the channel in ribbons. On numerous occassions these showers have been flowing directly over east sussex, and this isn't an isolated phenomenom, the weather has defaulted to this pattern often over the past 12months. The MetOffice figures published yesterday don't seem representative of my experiences, but they're very much national/regional averages so need to be viewed in context. The Environment Agency figures for rainfall seem far more accurate, with the LTA by summers end still around the 150% mark.

In summary its been a tolerable but forgettable summer. Wind aside the garden has benefitted from the ample rainfall and i've been largely pleased that i've not had to endure too many humid, sleepless nights, but just a couple of weekends with unbroken sun and settled weather would have been nice.

Edit - Reading Snowtastics summary above they could easily be writing about my home in the South East. I should add none of my dog walking routes dried up fully this year, which is unprecedented. Often i'd nip out in flip flops but its been almost exclusively wellies and walking boots all summer. Not sure who these South East posters are that had a better summer than me, but due to the local variations they could easily be 20miles east or west of me and have had a totally different season.
Matt.
Retron
03 September 2024 13:14:49


Basically, it’s been a cack summer. Really poop.
Posters in the South East clearly have had a very different experience, jammy gits.

Originally Posted by: snowtastic 


The latter half of the summer certainly has been "cack" and "really poop". The charts from the MetO prove it, too, the little island on which I live was sunnier than the nearby mainland (105-115% sun for summer, 110%-130% for August) and it's just typical - I hate heat, sun, and humidity and Sheppey has been a magnet for it.

Today has at least been a bit cloudier, and there was even a brief shower earlier! It's done nothing to stop the warmth, though, another effortless 25 today...

This view via my weather station is typical of the summer since the mid-July shift (note the PC stays on GMT year round):

https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/wx.jpg 
UserPostedImage

Yes, it's autumn now but summer continues apace. Hopefully tomorrow really will only reach the 20C that's forecast... it'd be nice to sleep in somewhere that wasn't a sauna.

Here's the MetO version of the charts as reported by the BBC - larger and more of them.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-media/media-centre/weather-and-climate-news/2024/uk-experiences-coolest-summer-since-2015 
Leysdown, north Kent
bledur
03 September 2024 13:23:38

5 / 10 here in East-Sussex, this summer.

We have had some pleasant days, but all too often these have occurred during the week when many of us are working so of no real benefit.

A lot of wind this summer. a. lot. of. wind. - I usually expect a few gusty days but the garden has been absolutely hammered.

A lot of cloud too, in fact i can scarcely remember a day this entire summer that has been 100% cloud free. Often days have either started, or ended cloudy. On many occassions i've settled in the garden, early evening, hoping to enjoy the last of the sun, or do some stargazing, only for mucky cloud to drift in and spoil the moment.

More rain than i can ever remember, too. My region was subject to some quite significant and localised rain with showers rolling in off the channel in ribbons. On numerous occassions these showers have been flowing directly over east sussex, and this isn't an isolated phenomenom, the weather has defaulted to this pattern often over the past 12months. The MetOffice figures published yesterday don't seem representative of my experiences, but they're very much national/regional averages so need to be viewed in context. The Environment Agency figures for rainfall seem far more accurate, with the LTA by summers end still around the 150% mark.

In summary its been a tolerable but forgettable summer. Wind aside the garden has benefitted from the ample rainfall and i've been largely pleased that i've not had to endure too many humid, sleepless nights, but just a couple of weekends with unbroken sun and settled weather would have been nice.

Edit - Reading Snowtastics summary above they could easily be writing about my home in the South East. I should add none of my dog walking routes dried up fully this year, which is unprecedented. Often i'd nip out in flip flops but its been almost exclusively wellies and walking boots all summer. Not sure who these South East posters are that had a better summer than me, but due to the local variations they could easily be 20miles east or west of me and have had a totally different season.

Originally Posted by: MRazzell 


Not sure if much can be done about that?🤔
bledur
03 September 2024 13:28:42

Autumn started here in August and the removal from the forecasts for any dry warm period that had been forecast for the weekend and beyond just compounds that. 95mm of rain so far this month. It seems a long long time since there has been a spell of warm settled weather here.

Originally Posted by: doctormog 


Yes but Summer started in May with the Highlands having a lovely warm dry May whilst further south the rain continued.
 At the end of May water restrictions were being put in place in the area of Assynt. Plenty water now.😀
bledur
03 September 2024 13:30:54

The latter half of the summer certainly has been "cack" and "really poop". The charts from the MetO prove it, too, the little island on which I live was sunnier than the nearby mainland (105-115% sun for summer, 110%-130% for August) and it's just typical - I hate heat, sun, and humidity and Sheppey has been a magnet for it.

Today has at least been a bit cloudier, and there was even a brief shower earlier! It's done nothing to stop the warmth, though, another effortless 25 today...

This view via my weather station is typical of the summer since the mid-July shift (note the PC stays on GMT year round):

https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/wx.jpg 
UserPostedImage

Yes, it's autumn now but summer continues apace. Hopefully tomorrow really will only reach the 20C that's forecast... it'd be nice to sleep in somewhere that wasn't a sauna.

Here's the MetO version of the charts as reported by the BBC - larger and more of them.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-media/media-centre/weather-and-climate-news/2024/uk-experiences-coolest-summer-since-2015 

Originally Posted by: Retron 


I concur with your views about August , although not as dry as you there , it has been stifingly humid at times and still is now .☹
LeedsLad123
03 September 2024 14:57:23
August rainfall total. Very dry for eastern parts of England with less than 25mm widely from Essex all the way up to Tyne & Wear. Incredibly wet for western Scotland, parts of NW England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UserPostedImage

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2024/8/2024_8_Rainfall_Actual.gif 
Whitkirk, Leeds - 85m ASL.
03 September 2024 15:18:51
My perception is of an unmemorable summer. Often breezy or even windy, very cloudy, a few warm spells and even fewer hot days  Like a previous poster I can hardly recall a cloudless day (in most summers a few consecutive days could be expected in these parts at least a couple of times). Plenty of rain to keep the garden green but a distinct lack of thunderstorms arriving from the south which seems normal these days. My water butt by the greenhouse has only run dry a couple of times and a 1000 L IBC tank by the shed has never been below about 80% full. Very few warm evenings for sitting outside. August has improved things with mostly drier conditions and good temperatures for getting outdoor work done so I'll be generous and award a 6/10
No doubt our favoured south eastern location has, as usual, given us a less poor summer than other parts but don't assume that we have all enjoyed the near Mediterranean conditions reported by the coastal dwellers on here

Jason
Salfords, Surrey
Saint Snow
03 September 2024 15:51:18

Ratings for Summer 2024 can still be posted in the 'Summer moaning and gloating' thread. Although its been moved to the 'Classic Threads' forum, it isn't actually closed.

Originally Posted by: DEW 




My moan is that the Summer Thoughts thread has been moved to the Classic Threads attic far too soon, as that's where threads go to die 😉

I'll re-post this, seeing as everyone else is now posting their summer conclusions here:


Originally Posted by: lanky

I have used Kevin Bradshaw’s “Manchester Summer Index” formula to plot the summer indexes for 2024 and the previous 7 years 2017-2023 for both NW and SE England

This index combines Maximum Temperature, Sun Hours and Rain Days into an index value ranging from about 150-350 for the whole or part of a summer

There was a fair bit if debate this year about how different the summer felt between the north and south of the UK and this is borne out by the two graphs.

The NW England graph show that 2024 was almost bottom of the 2017-2024 summers for that area in terms of the index value whereas in the SE it was a fairly average summer being around the middle of the pack

The SE index is on average higher by about 75 due to average maxima being 3-4C higher (40% contribution) less rain days (40%) and more sun hours (20%) but this year the difference was about 95 in favour of the SE





That's interesting about the respective WSI's.

My feelings about this summer is that it's frequently dangled a carrot, then quickly whipped it away again. We've not had any sustained summery weather - and I'm not talking temps up around 30c, just 2/3/4 weeks of sunny and dry with high-pressure over the UK. So many times the models have shown a spell of potentially prolonged nice weather, only for that to get shortened and shortened once we're a couple of days away, so we end up with 1/2/3 days of summer then a breakdown.

Impossible to plan anything with any certainty, even a few days away.

I'd give this summer 4/10



Martin
Home: St Helens (26m asl) Work: Manchester (75m asl)
A TWO addict since 14/12/01
"How can wealth persuade poverty to use its political freedom to keep wealth in power? Here lies the whole art of Conservative politics."
Aneurin Bevan
doctormog
03 September 2024 16:01:45

Yes but Summer started in May with the Highlands having a lovely warm dry May whilst further south the rain continued.
 At the end of May water restrictions were being put in place in the area of Assynt. Plenty water now.😀

Originally Posted by: bledur 


To be fair it wasn’t that much drier in the north in absolute terms in May just drier compared with the long term average. Here’s the rainfall data: 
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2024/5/2024_5_Rainfall_Actual.gif 

And the sunshine values: 
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2024/5/2024_5_Sunshine_Actual.gif 


Saint Snow
03 September 2024 16:01:51

August rainfall total. Very dry for eastern parts of England with less than 25mm widely from Essex all the way up to Tyne & Wear. Incredibly wet for western Scotland, parts of NW England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UserPostedImage

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2024/8/2024_8_Rainfall_Actual.gif 

Originally Posted by: LeedsLad123 




Here's the anomaly values, which backs up your opinion:

UserPostedImage


However, that's only half the story. The number of days where any rain fell paints a less dry picture:

UserPostedImage

Many areas had a month where less rainfall than average fell - but there were an above-average (or average) number of days where rain fell. That generally typifies a poor month.

In theory you could have a legendary August with loads of dry sunny days and hot temps - but the rainfall total was higher than average due to a few days of torrential downpours from thundery pulses moving up from France

Martin
Home: St Helens (26m asl) Work: Manchester (75m asl)
A TWO addict since 14/12/01
"How can wealth persuade poverty to use its political freedom to keep wealth in power? Here lies the whole art of Conservative politics."
Aneurin Bevan
doctormog
03 September 2024 16:04:22

August rainfall total. Very dry for eastern parts of England with less than 25mm widely from Essex all the way up to Tyne & Wear. Incredibly wet for western Scotland, parts of NW England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UserPostedImage

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2024/8/2024_8_Rainfall_Actual.gif 

Originally Posted by: LeedsLad123 


I think the little blue patch here was my house as I seemed to have caught some showers/spells of rain that areas even a couple of miles away seemed to have more or less totally missed in recent weeks.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2024/8/2024_8_Rainfall_Anomaly_1991-2020.gif 


Retron
03 September 2024 16:06:43


In theory you could have a legendary August with loads of dry sunny days and hot temps - but the rainfall total was higher than average due to a few days of torrential downpours from thundery pulses moving up from France

Originally Posted by: Saint Snow 


Here on the tropical paradise Isle of Sheppey, I recorded 23.8mm of rain in August. 17.2mm of that fell in a few hours on the 24th, meaning there was only 6.6mm for the rest of the month... pretty much your scenario, I'd say.

(And unfortunately that 17.2mm went largely into drains and ditches, it didn't soak into the soil at all. The lawn was still rock-solid the following morning, and though there was a bit of dampness in wooded areas, it took all of a day for that to go too. 17mm spread over say 5 days would have been a different story...)


Leysdown, north Kent
LeedsLad123
03 September 2024 16:58:00

Here's the anomaly values, which backs up your opinion:

UserPostedImage


However, that's only half the story. The number of days where any rain fell paints a less dry picture:

UserPostedImage

Many areas had a month where less rainfall than average fell - but there were an above-average (or average) number of days where rain fell. That generally typifies a poor month.

In theory you could have a legendary August with loads of dry sunny days and hot temps - but the rainfall total was higher than average due to a few days of torrential downpours from thundery pulses moving up from France

Originally Posted by: Saint Snow 


I usually look at rain days >1mm to determine how dry a month felt. For August we had 7 days with >1mm of rain, so still below average for this location (average is around 9).
Whitkirk, Leeds - 85m ASL.
MRazzell
03 September 2024 17:18:04

Not sure if much can be done about that?🤔

bledur wrote:



True, but I guess it adds nuance and backs up what others say about the lack of prolonged decent weather which would have yielded some better weekends.
Matt.

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