Skip Navigation • Accessibility • Help • Default text size Larger text size High contrast page
Go to Met Office homepage
Weather advisory issued - go to UK severe weather warnings
 
bullet  Home   bullet  Weather  bullet  UK  bullet  Climate  bullet  2005 monthly summary  bullet  Monthly assessment

June 2005

Monthly assessment
June 2005 monthly assessment issued 1 July 2005.

Monthly summaries available for: England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland
Homogenous time series based upon selected station data: CET | England and Wales rainfall

England and Wales
A typical summer month, characterised by some very warm or hot weather interspersed with some very wet and thundery weather.
Diary of highlights

1st to 6th: The first few days of the month were largely dominated by a mobile westerly pattern, giving rather unsettled conditions. Southern and western coasts were plagued by mist and fog at times, while a couple of waving cold fronts brought locally heavy and thundery rain across England and Wales on the 3rd. Margate (Kent) was the wettest place up to 18 GMT with 31 mm (1.22 inches) of rain. Showery rain affected north-east England on the 4th, bringing 36 mm (1.42 inches) in a 12-hour period to Boulmer (Northumberland).

7th to 13th: High pressure then developed across the UK, bringing largely fine and dry conditions with plenty of sunshine. Newquay (Cornwall) recorded over 15 hours of sunshine on the 9th. The clear skies and light winds brought some chilly nights with some grass frost. Benson (Oxfordshire) broke its June minimum temperature record with a low of -0.3 °C early on the 7th. Clacton (Essex) struggled to just 12 °C on the 8th with winds blowing in off a cool North Sea. Towards the end of the period the high began to move away west, allowing a cold front to spread south to give a cool and showery northerly airstream. Benson had another chilly start on the 13th with a low of just 0.1 °C.

14th to 16th: Low pressure, initially spreading south down the North Sea, brought a return to more changeable conditions with plenty of cloud and rain, locally thundery across East Anglia.

17th to 20th: High pressure returned to the UK, and south-easterly winds coming off a very warm continent brought the hottest spell of the summer so far. Temperatures peaked at 33.1 °C in central London on the 19th, the hottest day anywhere in the UK since 11 August 2003 when 34.7 °C was recorded at Gravesend (Kent). As the high pressure slipped away eastwards on the 19th, thundery showers developed across north Wales and into north-east England. There were torrential downpours with hail, leading to flash flooding in places, especially across Yorkshire. Hawnby (North Yorkshire) recorded an exceptional 60 mm (2.4 inches) in just one hour. Greater London and East Anglia then endured thunderstorms on the 20th, although here they were generally not as severe.

21st to 23rd: The Azores high built across the south of the UK bringing more fine and largely dry conditions. Many areas enjoyed plenty of very warm sunshine. Eastbourne (East Sussex) recorded over 15 hours of sunshine on the 23rd, while Gravesend (Kent) recorded a high of 32.1 °C on the same day, the second hottest place of the summer so far. Dorset had a few thundery showers during the evening of the 23rd.

24th to 26th: Pressure fell across England and Wales, giving some very unsettled and thundery weather. The start of the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset was hampered by flooding on the 24th. On the same day, Teignmouth (Devon) recorded 52 mm (over 2 inches) of rain in the 24 hours to 18 GMT. Despite this, Kent managed to hold onto some very warm air, with Herne Bay reaching just short of 32 °C. Parts of the Midlands had significant rain on the 25th, while the Isles of Scilly had some similarly significant rainfall on the 26th.

27th to 30th: The closing stages of the month were marked by an initial ridge of high pressure soon breaking down from the south, to give yet more wet weather. Heavy and thundery showers moved north across England and Wales on the 28th giving some torrential downpours and frequent lightning. East Anglia and Essex continued to see the thunderstorms into the 29th. Andrewsfield (Essex) logged almost an inch of rain in 2 hours. North-east England was plagued by low cloud and drizzle, with Fylingdales (North Yorkshire) registering a maximum of just 12 °C. There were also reports of flooding near Padstow (N Cornwall), with initial reports of 50-75 mm being recorded on the afternoon of 29th. The final day of the month was showery and generally cooler than previous days.

Statistical details (using best available data/estimates): Updated December 2005

England & Wales Mean Temperature Series (series began in 1914).
The final value for the month was 15.1 °C, which is 1.5 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well above average category.

data Download complete England and Wales mean temperature series

England & Wales Rainfall Series (series began in 1914).
The final total for the month was 56.6 mm, which is 89% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the close to average category.

data Download complete England and Wales rainfall series

England & Wales Sunshine Series (series began in 1929).
The final total for the month was 190.7 hours, which is 103% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the close to average category.

data Download complete England and Wales sunshine series
Scotland
Periods of unsettled and cyclonic weather alternated with spells when high pressure brought some dry and sunny conditions.
Diary of Highlights

A depression in mid-Atlantic pushed its fronts across Scotland on the first two days of June bringing wet weather to many places. There was 25 mm of rain at Tiree on the 1st and 37 mm at Broadford on Skye the next day. The temperature failed to reach 10 °C at Fair Isle on both days.

The low moved across Scotland and into the Baltic between the 3rd and the 5th with cool and showery conditions across Scotland. On the 5th the maximum temperature at Inverbervie was only 10 °C.

Between the 6th and 10th an anticyclone moved from the Hebrides to south-east England and then back to the Hebrides. It was dry with the sunniest weather in the west on the 6th and 10th and the east and south between these days. Night-time temperatures fell to -1 °C in the Highlands on the 6th and 7th but warm and humid air spread across the country on the 7th and lasted until the 9th.

The anticyclone retreated to the west on the 11th and 12th and showers developed in the northerly airstream that covered Scotland.

From the 13th to the 17th an area of low pressure transferred slowly west across Scotland from the North Sea to the Atlantic. The weather was cloudy with rain at times, the most significant rain shifting with the wind as it changed direction from north to south-west.

Between the 18th to the 23rd, south-westerly winds blew across Scotland as high pressure became established near south-east England. For much of the time warm and humid air covered Scotland with minimum temperatures of 17 °C in some eastern places on the 18th and 19th. Maxima of 25 °C on the 19th were accompanied by thunderstorms in some locations and frontal rain fell overnight on the 20th and 21st. Rain also affected the north-west for much of the day on the 22nd but during this period much of Scotland experienced sunny spells.

Cooler and cloudier conditions with a little rain affected the south on the 24th but high pressure soon developed close to Scotland and brought renewed fair weather until the 28th. Apart from the far north it was sunny with maximum temperatures of 24 °C or 25 °C at many places on the 28th.

On the 29th and 30th, low pressure in the Atlantic pushed bands of rain and showers north across Scotland.
Statistical details (using best available data/estimates): Updated December 2005

Scotland Mean Temperature Series (series began in 1914).
The final value for the month was 12.4 °C, which is 1.3 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well above average category.

data Download complete Scotland mean temperature series

Scotland Rainfall Series (series began in 1914).
The final total for the month was 104.1 mm, which is 121% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the above average category.

data Download complete Scotland rainfall series

Scotland Sunshine Series (series began in 1929).
The final total for the month was 135.1 hours, which is 85% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the below average category.

data Download complete Scotland sunshine series
Northern Ireland
Dry and increasingly warm but rather dull.
Diary of Highlights


After the cool May, temperature levels rose noticeably during the first five days of June, but although there was some sunshine at times, cloudier interludes gave some showery rain on most days though amounts were generally small.

The period between the 6th and 11th was mostly dry with variable cloud and some sunshine. It was warm by day with temperatures 18 to 20 Celsius but nights were chilly at first with a low of just 1 °C in Co Down on the morning of the 7th.

The 12th to the 14th was a cloudier period with some showery rain at times, although again amounts were small and it was very cool on the 12th with maximum temperatures only 12 to 14 °C as winds switched to a north-westerly quarter.

More active fronts crossed the Province between the 14th and the 19th with most days seeing some rain, but totals rarely exceeded 5 mm and it was becoming steadily warmer again as a Tropical Maritime air mass became more dominant. Indeed, nights became uncomfortably warm with overnight lows on the morning of the 18th between 15 and 17 °C. After a cloudy start on the 18th, warm sunny spells developed in the afternoon and temperatures reached 22 °C. This was the precursor to the month's most dramatic weather when overnight thunderstorms gave many areas a spectacular lightning display. One storm produced 25 mm of rain in just three hours at Belfast Aldergrove Airport. Sunday 19th became fine and sunny again in the afternoon with highs 21 to 23 °C.

Showery rain developed late on the 20th and again later on the 21st but the days themselves were dry with variable cloud and rather warm.

The 22nd turned into the warmest day so far with hot sunshine in many areas in the afternoon and evening and temperatures reached 23 to 25 °C, highest in parts of Co Down. The heat didn't last though and the 23rd and 24th was cloudier with some occasional rain at times, this particularly persistent in some eastern areas on the 24th.

The rather changeable conditions persisted to the end of the month with some rain or showers in many areas. The exception was the afternoon of the 28th when strong sunshine again allowed temperatures to reach 23 or 24 °C locally.
Statistical details (using best available data/estimates): Updated December 2005

Northern Ireland Mean Temperature Series (series began in 1914).
The final value for the month was 14.1 °C, which is 1.7 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well above average category. Warmest since 1992.

data Download complete Northern Ireland mean temperature series

Northern Ireland Rainfall Series (series began in 1914).
The final total for the month was 55.5 mm, which is 76% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the below average category. Driest since 1996.

data Download complete Northern Ireland rainfall series

Northern Ireland Sunshine Series (series began in 1929).
The final total for the month was 125.6 hours, which is 79% of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well below average category.

data Download complete Northern Ireland sunshine series
Homogeneous series based upon selected station data:

Central England Temperature (series begins in 1659).
CET Index

England and Wales Rainfall (series begins in 1766).
EWP Index
Note: Diary values are provisional based on data available at the time.