The stats for June are in now and according to the Met Office, across the UK June was 1.0C warmer than the 1981-2010 average, with rainfall at 144% of normal and sunshine just a fraction down on average at 97%...
Over the last couple of weeks many of us have experienced heavy downpours and thunderstorms. The map above shows estimated days of thunder for the first 6 months of the year with parts of southern Ireland, southwest Scotland and northwest England having the most (map credit: Weatherquest).
The current outlook for the remainder of July suggests temperatures will be near or below average overall. The risk of a significant heatwave looks low which is great news for the people who struggle in the heat and humidity. Most of the time we should find a wind coming in from the nearby Atlantic.
The first weekend of the month is looking very windy for parts of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland in particular with a spell of gales and extreme gusts for the time of year. Once the low pressure is away in the North Sea, a weak ridge of high pressure is expected to come in and bring a period of pleasant weather with a mix of sun and cloud and mostly below average rainfall.
The best of the weather will be in the south of the UK and Ireland as low pressure in the Atlantic is never far away and this will influence the weather patterns for Scotland.
The weather map shows the five day period for 13 to 17 July, more or less the middle of the month. The numbers show the average temperatures (Celsius) and the colour coding indicates either above (yellow and orange) or below (blue) average values. Scandinavia and much of Ireland and the UK will remain cooler than normal for mid-summer, whereas parts of Italy, France and Spain are expecting some above average temperatures. (Map credit: MetDesk).
Confidence is low for the weather patterns during the second part of July, but the current signals indicate low pressure with showers for the UK and much of mainland Europe, whereas high pressure near Iceland could bring some better weather to Scotland at times.
Overall, the weather is looking cooler and cloudier for July compared to recent summers over the UK & Ireland.
We'll be back in a few weeks to see how the weather prospects are looking for August.