Weather log August 2021
A dry start to August with sunny spells but temperatures below average the first few days. Unsettled from 5th with showers and some longer spells of rain but also drier brighter interludes, temperatures still a bit below average on most days:
Mon 9th showery, thunder in places (Rugby had some thunder early evening), a persistent train of heavy showers affected Ceredigion through the afternoon with the radar suggesting 3 inches or so fell to the north of Tregaron (some parts of the county missed the showers though with Aberporth 0.2mm); rainfall totals 24 hours to midnight: Swyddffynnon (north of Tregaron) 32.4mm, Hereford 7.6mm, Trawsgoed 13.0mm, Llanwnnen c 8mm, CL 7.2mm, Shawbury 0.6mm, Aberdaron 0.0mm.
Tue 10th generally a warmer day away from exposed coasts with some sunny spells; maxima Wellesbourne, Warks 25.3c the warmest in the UK; other Pershore 24.4c, Coventry 23.7c, Nottingham 22.4c, Shawbury & Shobdon 22.2c, Lwn 20.9c, Trawsgoed 20.2c, Aberdaron & Aberporth 17.7c.
Towards mid month a little rain or drizzle but often dry, average to rather warm temperatures:
Sat 14th warmest night of the year to date here at Llanwnnen, although 14.6c is unremarkable and comes after 9 days that did not exceed 21c; other minima Mumbles 16.1c, Coleshill 15.2c, CL 14.0c, Shobdon 13.1c, CC 12.4c. A drizzly day did not top 19c here.
Mid month turned cool, cloudy and quite Autumnal for WW in particular rain or drizzle at times:
Fri 20th here at Llanwnnen a very dull spell for Summer, just 2 hours sun estimated in the past 7 days making it the dullest Summer week estimated here (srb only 2013 though), such dull weeks are more a feature of Winter. The dullest Summer week prior to this was an estimated 4 hours in late June 2017, while 10 consecutive days were sunless December 2019 to January 2019.
Sat 21st rain then heavy showers with local thunder in places, Gogerddan 29.0mm for the day, with 24 hours totals to 0600 22nd: Trawsgoed 24.8mm, ROW 11.6mm, Coleshill 10.4mm, CL 3.0mm, MH 0.6mm.
Just 46 hours sun for the first 3 weeks of August here at Lwn so a very dull month so far for most places..Coventry 81 hours though not quite so grim!
Sun 22nd parts of the Midlands had thundery showers overnight, thunder and lightning at Coventry & Rugby around midnight but only a few mm rain at these locations, while a PWS near Banbury, Oxon caught 32mm in one hour.
A largely dry final week or so to Summer 2021, variable cloud, some rather cloudy days but with other seeing decent warm sunny spells:
Tue 24th WW & Herefordshire the best of the warmth and sunshine, a lot of cloud and cooler Midlands, maxima Lwn 22.7c, Pembrey Sands 22.5c, ROW c 21c, Trawsgoed 20.9c, Hereford 20.5c, Aberdaron 18.9c, Coventry 18.8c, Shawbury 18.5c.
Fri 27th much cloud for most of the Midlands again, WW mostly sunny and rather warm, maxima Porthmadog 22.1c, Lwn 20.8c, MH 20.7c, CITE 18.3c, Shawbury 17.9c, Aberporth 17.1c, Coventry 16.6c, Nottingham 16.3c; sunshine Aberdaron & Lwn (est) 12.5 hrs, Shawbury 1.4 hrs, Nottingham 0.0 hrs.
Sun 29th an anticyclonic end to Summer but not necessarily sunny; Marches & WW fared best again today with warm sunny spells, Midlands mainly cloudy and rather cool; maxima Pembrey Sands 23.0c, Trawsgoed 21.9c, Lwn 21.2c, Shobdon 20.4c, CITE 20.3c, Aberporth 17.7c, Coventry 17.2c, Market Bosworth 17.0c.
Bank Holiday Mon 30th disappointingly cloudy and cool though mainly dry; maxima Shobdon 16.0c, Aberporth 16.4c, Coventry 16.8c, Newport, Salop 17.5c, Lwn 17.6c, Gogerddan 18.8c, CITE 18.9c, NW Wales getting some sunny spells.
Nature notes
As usual a significant drop in Swift presence at the start of August, however Swift chicks still audible from at least one nest in the Church hall up to 8th with a pair seen the following evening (half dozen screaming still last week at the University where there have been at least 3 nests this Summer as judged by birds going in and out of holes.
Tue 10th several Painted Lady butterflies on the wild flower meadows of the University, also quite a few Holly Blues. There have been a lot of Swallows nesting in the University grounds this Summer on various buildings where shelter is afforded.
Late Swifts:
Thu 19th briefly saw about 3 likely Swifts flying above the Swallows and Martins at the Uni this afternoon.
Fri 20th Aberaeron evening, c 8 Swift over the town were just about the latest I have seen...
Thu 26th Chiffchaff singing well by the river at the Uni this afternoon.
August 2021 summary
Generally dry but dull with near average temperatures
Note highest max pretty low for a Summer month across the Midlands and WW, with only Wellesbourne achieving 25c (10th); Aberporth 19.6c the highest all month, Trawsgoed 22.1c, Lwn 23.3c, Coventry 23.7c, Pershore 24.4c.
Rainfall totals August 2021
Mona, Anglesey 54.2mm
Aberdaron 35.0mm (49%)
Aberporth 43.0mm (63%)
Llanwnnen 74.5mm (69%)
Milford Haven 43.8mm
Mumbles, Swansea 41.0mm (49%)
Nottingham (Watnall) 52.0mm
Shawbury 34.0mm (57%)
Coleshill 28.8mm (42%)
Coventry, Bablake 27.2mm (43%)
Church Lawford 32.0mm (52%)
Shobdon 43.8mm (72%)
Hereford 25.8mm (54%)
Pershore 37.6mm (68%)
COL/ PWS stations rainfall
Llansadwrn, Anglesey 69.0mm (77%)
Ludlow, Salop 45.8mm (68%)
Cosby, Leic 34.8mm (54%)
Hinckley 32.2mm
Warstock, B'ham 43.5mm (62%)
Alvechurch, Worc 37.4mm
Daventry, Northants 28.4mm
Towcester, Northants 41.0mm (64%)
Sunshine August 2021
Aberdaron 172.6 hours
Aberporth 128.2 hrs (72%)
Llanwnnen 104 hours estimated (64%)
Nottingham 92.2 hours
Shawbury 105.0 hrs (65%)
Coventry 107.4 hrs (62%)
Shobdon 107.2 hrs
Summer 2021 summary
Generally rather dry and rather warm but quite dull
Most of WW had a dry Summer; rather warm but rather dull.
Midlands most parts quite a dry Summer but some spots locally managed average rainfall; again rather warm but quite dull.
Rainfall totals Summer 2021
Aberdaron 97.2mm
Aberporth c 95mm
Llanwnnen 167.2mm (60%)
Nottingham c 160mm (quite dry)
Shawbury 134.4mm (rather dry)
Coventry, Bablake 159.2mm (88%)
Church Lawford 131.6mm (74%)
Pershore c 150mm (near average)
Sunshine Summer 2021
Llanwnnen 440 hours estimated (87%)
Nottingham 413 hrs (dull)
Shawbury 455 hrs (dull)
Coventry 511.1 hrs (91%)
