UK on course for one of its warmest summers

It's been far wetter in the south

Published 27th Aug 2021

The summer has so far been around one degree warmer than average, potentially putting it in the top 10 warmest UK summers on record.

The Met Office says although it may surprise those who have endured a far wetter and "duller" season than usual in London and south-east England.

In a statement, the Met Office says while it is still a few days off announcing a definitive ranking at the start of September, the UK's mean temperature for summer was around one degree centigrade higher than average at 15.4C (59.7F).

The Met Office's outlook up until Monday - the second-last day of summer - reads: "Often cloudy, cool with some light rain or showers for northern and eastern coastal areas. Elsewhere, dry with sunny spells. Warm in the west."

Hampshire has had 245.2mm, or 49% more rain than average and West Sussex 250.9mm, 52% above average.

Dr Mark McCarthy, of the National Climate Information Centre, said: "Obviously there's still time before the month and season is over, but summer so far is certainly looking drier and warmer than average.

"That's despite some of the wet, dull conditions we've seen in the south-east in particular.

"Some of the flooding seen in London in July has seen some individual stations report almost twice their normal summer rainfall but the north and west of the country has experienced plenty of sunshine through June and July, although most of the country has been duller than average through August."

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