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The first two days were very hot and humid almost
everywhere with 32.7 °C being recorded at Heathrow
Airport on the 1st and at Honington (Suffolk) on the
2nd. The weather continued very warm or hot in many
places till the 7th. Thundery rain broke out with
increasing frequency giving local downpours at times
between 1st and 9th.
From the 8th to the 18th mostly rather cool and unsettled
conditions prevailed, however there were good sunny
periods at times. Coleshill (Birmingham) received
57 mm in 12 hours on the 8th while on the 9th Basingstoke
collected 57 mm and Hemsby (Norfolk) recorded 71 mm,
both in 24 hours. It was generally quiet from the
10th to the 12th. Rain broke out in the north later
during the 13th, heralding a second period of thunderstorms
with hail and heavy rain at times which continued
until the 19th. Honington (Suffolk) recorded a gust
of 52 kn in a thunderstorm on the 14th. Funnel clouds
and tornadoes were reported from Monmouthshire on
the 16th. On the 18th there were widespread heavy
thundery showers with tornadoes reported from Sussex
and Kent.
Following a mainly cool dry anticyclonic interlude
from the 20th to the 23rd rain moved into the west
country on the 24th which spread north-east and declined.
On the 25th thunderstorms in the south-west gave 68
mm over a 24-hour period at Milford Haven, before
migrating to other parts of England and Wales.
As pressure rose the remainder of the month became
mostly warm and dry with good sunny periods in the
south. Cardiff and Birmingham had their wettest August
on record with 176 and 154 mm respectively. Rainfall
ranged from about 185% in East Anglia, south Wales
and south-west England to about 95 % in north Wales
and north-west England.
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