JUNE 09
All as at 21st June
JUNE 09 weather June began with very warm weather by day, but also
a few heavy showers broke out in places, and the nights were cool. England
then moved into a spell of cooler, more unsettled weather, with the 6th being
a very wet day in certain areas, and heavy rain also around 10th and 15th.
After mid-month it remained unsettled, particularly in the north. Pressure
was higher during the last 10 days of the month, and the weather gradually
settled down with temperatures climbing; 30 °C was exceeded at a few
stations on 29th/30th. Overall, June was warmer and rather sunnier than average,
and drier in most areas.
1st to 5th: High pressure dominated the weather,
keeping it largely dry with a good deal of sunshine through this period, particularly
in the south. Also the very warm conditions did set off a few heavy showers,
particularly in the far south. Hail was reported at Portsmouth (Hampshire)
on the 1st. Very high temperatures in places by day and some clear nights gave
a notable contrast. The highest temperature of this spell was on the 1st with
27.2 °C recorded at Lee-on-Solent (Hampshire). Overnight temperatures came
within a few degrees of freezing in several spots on the 4th, with Benson (Oxfordshire)
down to 1.9 °C and Woodford (Gt. Manchester) recording 2.5 °C.
6th to 11th: The weather became more unsettled through
this period as the high pressure retreated northwards. Southern parts saw some
very heavy rain through this period, with thunderstorms reported. There were
some very localised torrential downpours, with unofficial reports of over 90
mm in the Exeter area during the 6th. These downpours gave rise to localised
flooding across the southern half of England. The showery weather continued
through this period, with other areas catching heavy ones. Also it was a much
cooler period. The highest temperature was 21.2 °C at Heathrow (Gt. London)
on the 11th, and there was even a slight frost in parts of the north with Shap
(Cumbria) recording a minimum of -0.9 °C on the 9th.
12th to 16th: A mostly showery period of weather,
with all parts enjoying some drier sunny periods as well. The showers did become
heavy at times with again some parts recording exceptionally heavy, thundery
ones. For example, Heacham (Norfolk) caught a couple of storms on the 15th
with 20.2 mm and 23.0 mm in the space of three hours. There was also a report of
59 mm in two hours just to the south of Cambridge. The highest temperature during
this period was 25.2 °C at London Weather Centre on the 16th.
17th to 21st: This was the most unsettled and windiest
part of the month with gales in the far north. A period of rain swept eastwards
on the 17th with 40 mm recorded at St Bees Head in Cumbria. The rain was light
and more patchy further south and east. This led into a showery period, with
the heaviest and most frequent showers in the north and west, while parts of
the south remained dry. The temperature reached 21.7 °C at Plymouth (Devon)
on the 21st.
22nd to 26th: High pressure dominated the weather
through this period, but it was not entirely settled. Showers were the dominant
force in the weather, with some particularly heavy ones. Linton-on-Ouse (N
Yorkshire) recorded 15.6 mm in one hour, a typical example of the intensity
of the storms. Some of the storms generated funnel clouds, with a few of these
reported on the 26th. Many parts did enjoy some fine weather, and it became
warm, e.g. 26.2 °C at Carlisle on the 23rd, Heathrow 28.0 °C on the
25th.
27th to 30th: Very warm weather edged in from the
south and east through this period. It brought with it some high temperatures,
the highest for three years, but also some very heavy and intense thunderstorms
with hail. Hailstones covered the ground in places, notably Bexley Heath (Gt.
London) and Winterbourne (West Midlands). Also hail the size of marbles was
reported at Romford (Essex) on the 27th. These storms were scattered throughout
the UK but after the 27th the south-east of England became dry, hot and mostly
sunny. The highest temperatures were 31.3 °C on the 29th and 31.8 °C
on the 30th, both at Wisley (Surrey). North Sea coasts were quite a bit cooler
with onshore breezes and low cloud or fog at times.