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| Britain has driest first half of September for half a century | |
| (2 days later) | |
| The first half of September has been the UK's driest for more than 50 years, according to weather experts. | The first half of September has been the UK's driest for more than 50 years, according to weather experts. |
| Figures up to 15 September show there has been 6.7mm of rain across Britain, which is just 7% of the September average of 96mm, the Met Office said. | Figures up to 15 September show there has been 6.7mm of rain across Britain, which is just 7% of the September average of 96mm, the Met Office said. |
| Forecasters would normally expect about half of the average monthly rainfall by this point in the month. A spokesman said this made it the driest first half of September for the UK in records going back to 1960. It is also the driest start to the month for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not for England – 1997 and 2003 were drier. | Forecasters would normally expect about half of the average monthly rainfall by this point in the month. A spokesman said this made it the driest first half of September for the UK in records going back to 1960. It is also the driest start to the month for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not for England – 1997 and 2003 were drier. |
| Wales has been the driest with less than 1mm of rain up to 15 September. Northern Ireland has had 1.2mm of rain, while England has seen 4.1mm and Scotland 13.5mm. | Wales has been the driest with less than 1mm of rain up to 15 September. Northern Ireland has had 1.2mm of rain, while England has seen 4.1mm and Scotland 13.5mm. |
| The UK mean temperature so far has been 13.9C (57F), 1.3C (34F) above the full-month average. | The UK mean temperature so far has been 13.9C (57F), 1.3C (34F) above the full-month average. |
| Daytime maximums have been particularly high, with a UK average of 18.4C (65F) 1.9C (35F) above the average, while night-time minimums have been closer to average at 9.6C (49F), 0.7C (33F) above average. | Daytime maximums have been particularly high, with a UK average of 18.4C (65F) 1.9C (35F) above the average, while night-time minimums have been closer to average at 9.6C (49F), 0.7C (33F) above average. |
| The amount of sunshine has also been slightly above normal, with 70.8 hours for the UK - about 57% of the full-month average. | The amount of sunshine has also been slightly above normal, with 70.8 hours for the UK - about 57% of the full-month average. |
| The figures have come about after a prolonged spell of settled and fine weather, dominated by high pressure sitting over the UK. This has blocked the usual low pressure systems that move in from the west and bring unsettled conditions. | The figures have come about after a prolonged spell of settled and fine weather, dominated by high pressure sitting over the UK. This has blocked the usual low pressure systems that move in from the west and bring unsettled conditions. |
| The spokesman said: "While these figures are interesting, they don't tell us where the month will end up overall. A few days of wet or cold weather could drastically alter the statistics, so we'll have to wait for the full-month figures before making any judgments. | The spokesman said: "While these figures are interesting, they don't tell us where the month will end up overall. A few days of wet or cold weather could drastically alter the statistics, so we'll have to wait for the full-month figures before making any judgments. |
| "Whilst the rest of this week should be dry and warm for many areas, some sharp showers may develop in places, particularly through Thursday and Friday." | "Whilst the rest of this week should be dry and warm for many areas, some sharp showers may develop in places, particularly through Thursday and Friday." |
| • This article was amended on 19 September 2014. An earlier version had the headline "Britain has driest September for half a century" |