One of the most notable features of June was the minimal rainfall of 22.2mm, which is just 40% of the average for June and the fifth driest I have recorded since 1984. The wettest day was the 1st with 8.4mm, almost half the total. There were 22 dry days so it is not surprising, with the minimal rainfall and the warmth later in the month, that 107mm of moisture evaporated into the atmosphere.
The mean temperature was fractionally above the 31-year average. This figure masks the contrasting temperatures throughout the month. The first two weeks were mainly cool with maxima well below the average. For many days the winds from a northerly quarter brought cool air, only 14.2C on the 9th when the mean is 19.7C and a minimum of 3.4C on the morning of the 3rd. However, summer did arrive towards the end of the month with the last eight days in excess of 20C, the warmest being the 30th with a maximum of 28.6C, the hottest day since August 2013.
There were several evenings, late in the month, that were very warm with almost still conditions – ideal BBQ weather. Such must have been an evening when in 1953 Vita Sackville-West wrote “Sit out in the white garden … till 10pm planning improvements … A perfectly still, breathless evening, scented and warm.”
The total number of hours of strong sunshine was 168, 19% more than in June 2014. The 30th June not only brought a hot day but the highest daily total of strong sunshine being 15.74 hours. It is not surprising that the solar energy total was the highest since June 2010. UV levels were mainly in the high category but later in the month often rated very high.
