The weather in July

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/aug/02/weather-july-temperatures-rainfall-sunshine

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July was a month of varied and eventful weather. Climatically it was fairly close to average in England and Wales, despite much discussion of inclement weather later in the month. Scotland and Northern Ireland had another very changeable month with rain and showers on most days. After a day of record-breaking heat in many places on 1 July, temperatures tended to drop through the month. In the Midlands and the south, dry weather prevailed for much of the month with most of the rain falling on just two or three days.

Daytime Temperatures

The average daily Central England Temperature was 16.2C, 0.5C below the average for 1981-2010. In East Anglia and the south of England, temperatures were around average but Scotland and Northern Ireland were both just over a degree below average. Heathrow Airport reached a new UK July record temperature on 1 July with a maximum temperature of 36.7C. Less attention was given to the fact that several places in the north and east of England recorded their highest temperature not only for July, but for any month. Overnight minima on the night of 30 June/1 July were exceptionally high with temperatures remaining above 21C at both Aberystwyth and at Shoreham, West Sussex. The warmth did not last, though, and it was cool in northern areas for the rest of the month.

Rainfall

Rain fell frequently over Northern Ireland and Scotland through the month. The highest totals of more than 150mm were recorded in the Central Belt of Scotland and in parts of Northern Ireland. By contrast, rainfall in the south of the UK fell much less frequently but amounts ended up close to or just above average due to local thunderstorms on 4th and 16th. A depression moving across southern England on 24th July provided widespread rain with daily totals reaching 38mm in west London. Rainfall over England and Wales averaged 74mm which is 117% of the average for 1981-2010. Northern Ireland averaged 155%, East Scotland 145% and West Scotland 140%.

Sunshine

Sunshine was rather below average in most areas. Scotland averaged just 112 hours, 91% of average, but there was a great deal of local variation with parts of the south-east receiving only around two-thirds of average while the Northern Isles was sunnier than average. Northern Ireland managed little better with 124 hours and 95%. By contrast, East Anglia and the Midlands were slightly sunnier than average and sunshine amounts in the south and in Wales were not far off average.