The weather turned warmer on the 6th, and on the 7th 70F was recorded for the first time during the month. Whilst the afternoon of the 8th was fine and warm, the afternoon of the 9th saw heavy rain, but the 10th was fine. A ridge of high pressure from the Azores brought the first spell of settled weather all month. The 12th to the 16th were very sunny, and the 14th was the sunniest day of the year so far with 14 hours and 12 minutes of sunshine. The 17th was cloudier but still dry but the 18th was the final day of the anticyclones reign, as a small active low gave unsettled weather for the 19th and 20th. The 20th started out fine but heavy rain fell during the afternoon.

Another spell of dry weather occurred from the 21st but whilst dry, the weather was cloudy between the 22nd and the 25th. The weather turned warmer after the 26th, but from the 27th onwards humid, as the airflow was from the South-West. The warmest day of the month was recorded on the 29th, but it was extremely oppressive, and you knew a Thunderstorm was inevitable. Lightning was seen at 9.30pm, and during the night of the 29th/30th the temperature didn't fall below 65F. Not since August 1997 can I remember unpleasant humidity like this. At 4pm on the 30th, a severe thunderstorm broke and 13 millimetres of rain fell.

The storm eased at 6pm but steady rain fell later that night and early on the 31st. At 3am that morning a severe rainstorm broke which lasted until just before 7am. Rain then fell until 5pm. Forty-nine millimetres of rain fell that day, causing severe local flooding, being the wettest day recorded since Sunday 31st August 1997, when 57 millimetres of rain fell in a severe thunderstorm. Rainfall wise, July this year was in marked contrast to July last year as the rainfall totals this year was almost four times that of last year. July 2002 was the wettest July recorded since that of 1980 but one must remember the fact that no rain fell between the 12th and the 18th, and the 21st and the 29th.

It was also a dull month, the dullest July for ten years, and in April this year was sunnier. Daytime temperatures were 2C below normal, as reflected in the cool spell recorded during the first five days, and the relatively cool spell that occurred between the 19th and the 24th. However, night-time temperatures were above average, by just over 1C. This was the first cooler than average month this year, and unless a very sunny August or September occurs, it appears, rather unusually, that April is going to be the sunniest month of the year.

Kevin Phillips - 12.35am - Monday 5th August 2002.