The weather was anticyclonic mainly up to the middle of the month. The first 11 days will go down as one of the notable September hot spells of the 20th Century, alongside those of 1906, 1911, 1919, 1926, 1929, 1940, 1947, 1949, 1959, 1961, 1973, 1982 and 1991. Temperatures and sunshine recorded then would have been creditable for July. For a great deal of August 1999 it was the weather we didn't have. On the 6th September, 83F was recorded, the warmest September day recorded since the 5th September 1949, exactly 50 years earlier. The weather became cooler after this, but 80F still recorded on the 11th. Between the 1st and the 10th only the 7th recorded below 10 hours of sunshine.

From the 19th onwards, the weather was very unsettled, whilst remaining warm. There were two fine and sunny days recorded on the 17th and 21st but a depression brought a very wet day for the 19th and for most of the 20th. Exceptionally heavy rain fell throughout the night of the 19th/20th though the night was extremely mild, the minimum was 60F on the 20th. This contrasted with the minimum of 40F recorded on the morning of the 18th September.

The afternoon of the 23rd was fine, warm and sunny, with 70F recorded. The 25th was fine and warm with a few sunny spells in the morning but became overcast in the afternoon. A thunderstorm broke at 8pm that evening and lasted for an hour. This was the only thunderstorm recorded all month. There were further heavy downpours on the 26th and 27th and whilst 66F was recorded on the 29th, the month ended unsettled and wet.

Whilst daytime temperatures were well above normal, the absence of cold nights was also remarkable. At night-time, the thermometer only fell below 50F four times. It didn't fall below 50F at all in the final 11 days.

Sunshine totals were well above normal, making this the sunniest September since that of 1959, though the remarkable sunny spell between the 1st and the 13th was offset by an overcast final week between the 24th and the 30th. Due to the unsettled second half of the month, rainfall was more than twice the national average, making September 1999 was the wettest September recorded since September 1993.

Kevin Phillips - 7.45pm - Tuesday 5th October 1999.