Key:
Quite unsettled early in the month and rather cool:
Mon 3rd cool and showery, local thunder Midlands.
Fri 7th a brief return of heat, max Pershore 28.4c, Coleshill 27.6c, Nottingham 27.3c, Coventry, Gogerddan & Shawbury 27.1c, CL, Shobdon & Trawsgoed 26.7c, Lwn 25.8c, Aberdaron 22.1c.
Sat 8th warm/ very warm night; at Llanfairfechan (PWS) N Wales the temperature rose from 18c before midnight to 24c at 0400 due to the SE Foehn effect wind off Snowdonia. Here at Lwn a similar though less pronounced effect raised it from 17.5c before midnight to 20.4c around 0400. Minima Coventry & Trawsgoed 19.1c (the low to 0900 had been 20.5c but cooler late morning), Lwn & Nottingham 16.3c, Aberporth 15.2c, Shawbury 13.3c. Some rain in places then widespread downpours and thunderstorms Midlands pm giving over 2 inches in places; Winterbourne (B'ham) 41.4mm wettest place in the UK, also Market Bosworth 31.8mm, CL 15.0mm, Coventry 6.6mm. Other measurements: Alvechurch 43mm and Lichfield 42.2mm most of which in under 2 hours at both EA gauges; PWS near Hinckley 31mm caught in an hour. Thunder heard from Coventry & Rugby though not overhead.
Sun 9th scattered showers and thunderstorms, occasional rumbles here at Lwn much of which passed by to the east early afternoon; B'ham area caught storms for the second consecutive day; thunder heard from Coventry
Tue 11th showery again, thunder in places (thunder heard Coventry and likely Rugby). Lines or streets of showers affected WW, one such passed just west and north of here over several hours putting down much rain under it but with places just a couple of miles away escaping with little. One such line gave 25mm to Cribyn PWS 3 miles to our north with just a couple of mm here; another gave 40mm to Penuwch in just 3 hours this afternoon and 26.6mm to Swyddffynnon, near Tregaron today to 2100 (officially the wettest places in Wales today). Coventry 18.8mm to 2100 was the wettest spot in the Midlands.
Wed 12th showers in places, thunder more localised (sferics from the Southam or Daventry areas thunder heard from Rugby).
Fri 14th one of the few truly wet and windy days of this Summer to date courtesy of a deep low to our west; over an inch in places, rain cleared to heavy showers overnight.
Sat 15th 0900 total Lwn 25.4mm the wettest day since January (36.9mm 11th); also 0900 reading Coventry 15.6mm (wettest day of the month to date); 0600 readings: MH 20.2mm, Wellesbourne, Warks 18.6mm, Nottingham 14.4mm, Shawbury 6.6mm, Aberporth 4.8mm. Showery today, thunder in places and windy; prolonged heavy rain over N Wales, 3 or 4 inches today for Snowdonia (Capel Curig 76.6mm to 2100 wettest place in UK).
First half of July: rather unsettled, dull and rather wet generally; temperatures close to average; some places very dull, just 46 hours here at Lwn for the first half month (a similar amount in just 3 days in early June). Some places very wet having already attained their whole July averages.
Rainfall 1st to 0900 16th July:
Mona, Anglesey 50.6mm (rather wet)
Capel Curig 165.4mm (105% whole July average)
Trawsgoed 37.8mm (average)
Llanwnnen 63.8mm (wet)
Pembrey Sands 43.8mm (rather wet)
MH 52.4mm (rather wet)
Mumbles 46.3mm (rather wet)
Coventry 50.8mm (very wet)
CL 46.4mm (wet)
Pershore 52.6mm (just above the whole July average)
Shobdon 47.8mm (wet)
Sunshine July 1st -15th:
Llanwnnen (estimated) 46 hours (should be around 90 hours by now)
Coventry 81.3 hours (rather dull)
Shobdon, Herefordshire 48.7 hrs (very dull)
Rather Autumnal some days just after mid month:
Sun 16th fewer showers, only lightning sferics (and thunder?) being over B'ham midday.
Mon 17th a line of heavy downpours some with thunder affected just south and east of Aberystwyth around dawn this giving over an inch. Dinas (EA gauge), near Ponterwyd 28.4mm fell overnight, much in 2 hours around dawn. Scattered showers, thunder in places (chiefly N Mids), many places escaping with a mostly dry, bright day.
Tue 18th Met Office station Scolton Park (Pembs) 16.4mm wettest place in the UK.
Sat 22nd washout of a day with widely 1 - 2 inches across WW and half inch Midlands. Here at Lwn 32.5mm in the 24 hours to midnight, while Cwm Dyli (NRW), Snowdonia had 65.8mm in the same period; Astwood Bank 18.0mm was the wettest place of the Midlands MO sites (2100).
Sun 23rd Coventry measured 12.4mm in the 24 hours to 0900.
Mon 24th Mumbles, near Swansea 25.6mm wettest place in the UK (most places today though below 10mm).
Tue 25th here in Ceredigion at least, apart from the washout of last Saturday 22nd - much of the past week has been mainly dry with some sunny spells, feeling quite warm although temperatures not far from average (20c). What rain there has been has tended to be overnight apart from that Saturday.
Wed 26th very cool Summer night inland, minima Lwn 3.2c, Shobdon 4.3c, Trawsgoed 6.4c, CL 9.1c, Nottingham 9.2c, Valley 14.2c. Rain pm, an inch parts of WW and half inch widely Mids; Scolton Country Park (Pembs) 30.2mm wettest in UK.
Thu 27th appreciated a warm day Mids maxima Wellesbourne (Warks) 25.8c, Pershore 25.6c, Coventry 25.1c, Nottingham 22.5c, Lwn 21.6c, Mona 20.4c, Aberdaron & Pembrey Sands 18.4c.
Nature notes
Sat 1st marked decrease in bird song with the new month, hardly anything singing this evening, it was a breezy day.
Sun 2nd southern forestry some bird song up here this evening, a few Chiffchaff, Blackbird and Song Thrush was nice to hear.
Llanybydder: only a few Swifts about at dusk after a breezy day, however passing Rhydybont chapel 2/ 3 screamers; chicks audible from high above at the dilapidated warehouse; one seen to exit nest hole at former station building. Note Rhydybont is a Grade 2 listed building; the former mill is not listed unfortunately (could offer some protection).
Tue 4th Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan; 3 Swift near the park; plenty of H Sparrows, quite a few still seemed to be occupying nests in the many gaps available in the buildings many of which are hundreds of years old.
Thu 6th 8/9 screaming Swift this evening in spite of the overcast drizzly conditions. Not much bird song anymore, bar the odd Chiffchaff, Blackbird & S Thrush.
Sat 8th forestry dusk: little bird song now; it was getting dark started to head back to car then 2205 distant Nightjar briefly churred from whence we came (300 m); 2220 another heard ahead of us (under 100m) in Larch fell area (now showing 2 to 3 years regrowth plantation); 2230 first sighting of the year close under 50m briefly but no more churring so departed.
Sun 9th village, lots of hirundines and Swifts around dusk, about a dozen HM and 20 Swallow (young now flying and being fed by attendant adults); also about a dozen Swift with 3 seen to enter the hall (W side) in rapid succession.
Tue 12th Llanybydder dusk, cool evening after showers: Driving slowly past Rhydybont chapel 4 or 5 Swift noted; Aberduar chapel, numerous (15 - 20) exits and entries in just 20 minutes after sunset as it was getting dark, these into or out of at least 6 or 7 different locations into the soffit (perhaps some shuffling along within the soffit space?). This colony seemingly doing well then after the renovation concerns of 2018.
Tue 18th heard a bird screaming looked out to see the family of Jays flying off the Holly one was carrying a bird (Great Tit?). Predated most likely off one of the feeders on the Holly.
Wed 19th a nice dry day after several poor ones: Carmarthen Merlin's Walk 4 House Martin nests a couple of which seemed active with adults feeding the chicks. They nest on the bends in the downpipes beneath the rooflines of the shops below.
Carmarthen evening: 20+ Swift high above the town at times breaking into screaming parties, as observed from vicinity of St Peters church. Inspected the church building and noted droppings on the sloping roof of the North Transept abutting the main church body and that the roof line had a number of gaps one of which had these Swifts in it. Note that as well as the church several other old buildings that may have Swifts, one being the chartered surveyors (Llewellyn Humphries) just down from the church, this is known as Napier House and is a Grade 2 listed building. The other being the rear side of the Meeting House in Lammas St from which I thought I may have heard chicks?
Driving home Llanybydder station car park, c 20 Swift undertaking frenzied screaming parties (colonies in both former station building and the old warehouse/ mill). Good to see such numbers the most this Season (perhaps greater numbers now as chicks are fledging?)
Alltyblaca 3 Swift near the chapel.
Back home dusk: Our Swifts too were frenzied. 15 to 20 birds observed from the garden until 2200 when it was getting dark. An entrancing display, the best of this Summer.
Thu 20th Lampeter, Sainsbury car park, evening: came out with the trolley noticed a lot of Jackdaws above making much noise, looked down and 30 metres ahead a Sparrowhawk on top of something, as I slowly approached the Sparrowhawk released a Collard Dove which flew to nearby shrubs followed by the hawk. This was right next to our car and as I approached this I saw the hawk fly up and away a bit, then the dove went up on top of one of the tall light posts, with presumably it's partner on an adjacent post. Quite a few feathers on the ground, the dove must have been in shock and still susceptible to the hawk.
Mon 24th a fine evening at the forestry: waited for the possibility of a Nightjar. 2140 (20 minutes after sunset) one churring well at 50 metres then seen to fly a short distance. This being the usual location where the main track bends and is wide. Approached its new location getting to 10 metres although could not pick it out in the trees and dark, then it flew low over us. Then amazed to witness 4 or 5 birds (possibly a family?) swooping and clapping around us for a minute and all within 40 metres! Further churring audible as we walked back the 500 metres or so to the car at the main gate (2210).
Wed 26th Long Lawford, Rugby (LL): wet evening 6 Swift above the bungalow.
Thu 27th LL dusk 12 to 15 Swift; seems to be a colony in the Elizabeth Way environs while a bird exited one of the boxes of the house on Townsend Lane and swooped low over the road and above the park; they now has 3 Swift boxes together with speakers to play calls to attract further birds.
Fri 28th LL afternoon 12 to 15 Swift above The Spinney; Green Woodpecker heard by the Church (it is always quite something to hear one laughing in the Midlands as they are very few and far between WW).
Wyken Slough, Coventry evening: hoping for a good number of Swifts (have seen up to 70 feeding above the lake in previous years) however tonight was a no show. Great Crested Grebe sat on a nest which seems rather late. Another Green Woodpecker heard.
Not sure which day but a Song Thrush heard briefly in Rugby which had not heard for several weeks now since most of the birds went quite early in the month.
Sat 29th about a dozen Swift above The Spinney LL dusk.
Mon 31st LL morning some 20 to 30 mostly Swift and some House Martin high above the garden (something like 15 to 20 Swift a good number). Church afternoon a Red Kite just over the tree tops by the church and another Green Woodpecker heard close by not seen.
Driving back: half dozen Swift M5 near Bromsgrove; another half dozen Abergavenny which has a good population and plentiful suitable old buildings.
Second half of July: plentiful butterflies on the better days, chiefly Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and Whites (also some Peacocks and Red Admiral and the odd Tortoiseshell.
July 2023 summary
Dull or very dull and many places very wet; a poor Summer month in spite of near average temperatures.
Many NR Wales gauges more than double their July averages; all locations below average sun, some very dull indeed having around half the average. Temperatures unremarkable with rather cool days and average or quite mild nights, and so near average overall. Remarkably this was the first July at Coventry cooler than June since 1970, prior to which it was not unusual. Public perception being that it was an extremely poor month and someone was overheard stating that it was the coldest July on record! In actual fact it was only the coolest since 2020 both here at Lwn and Coventry. Rain and sun-wise it was indeed a poor month.
Rainfall totals July 2023
Capel Curig, Snowdonia c 290mm (double the average)
Mona, Anglesey 140.6mm (over 200%)
Aberdaron, Llyn Peninsular c 115mm (very wet)
Trawsgoed, Ceredigion 145.0mm (very wet)
Aberporth, near Llangrannog c 80mm (rather wet)
Llanwnnen 158.6mm (171%)
Pembrey Sands, Carms c 135mm (very wet)
Milford Haven, Pembs c 120mm (very wet)
Mumbles, near Swansea c 135mm (almost 200%)
Nottingham c 130mm (about 200%)
Shawbury, Salop c 110mm (about 200%)
Coleshill c 80mm (wet)
Coventry, Bablake School 97.0mm (170%)
CL, Warks 91.2mm (152%)
Pershore, Worc 96.8mm (176%)
Shobdon (Herefords) 97.6mm (176%)
Hereford c 75mm (wet)
National Resources Wales (NRW) rain gauges
Llyn Cefni, Ynys Mon 151.8mm (over 200%)
Bethesda Quarry (Gwynedd) 198.4mm (>200%)
Cwm Dyli (Snowdonia) 435.2mm (>200%)
Corris (near Machynlleth) 306.2mm (>200%)
Bow Street (near Aberystwyth) 129.8mm (very wet)
Pontrhydfendigaid (near Tregaron, Ceredigion) 201.6mm (>200%)
Penuwch (Ceredigion) 200.4mm (>200%)
Rhos Ymryson (near Gorscoch and 5 miles NW of Lwn) 145.6mm (very wet)
Cellan (2 miles NE of Lampeter) 140.4mm (very wet)
Pencader (Carms) 195.4mm (about 200%)
Abergorllech (Brechfa Forest, Carms) 178.4mm (very wet)
Rhydargaeau (Carms) 176.0mm (very wet)
Garnswllt (near Ammanford, Carms) 191.0mm (over 200%)
Felinfoel (near Llanelli, Carms) 173.2mm (>200%)
Maenclochog (near Preselis, Pembs) 219.4mm (>200%)
Tenby (Pembs) 130.4mm (>200%)
Bolton Hill (near Haverfordwest, Pembs) 153.2mm (>200%)
COL stations rainfall July 2023
Llansadwrn 161.0mm (207%)
Ludlow, Salop 102.3mm (158%)
Alvechurch, Worc 169.7mm (245%)
Warstock, Brum 155.1mm (231%)
Oadby, Leic 90.2mm (152%)
Cosby, Leic 68.2mm (110%) = one of the driest spots this month!
Hinckley 120.9mm (much rainfall variability then across Leicestershire)
Towcester, Northants 97.4mm (155%)
Sunshine totals July 2023
Llanwnnen estimated 91 hours (51%) = dullest July since webcam estimations began in 2013
Coventry, Bablake School 156 hrs (78%)
Shobdon, Herefordshire 100 hours (47%)
COL stations sun
Ludlow 101.1 hours
Alvechurch 143 hrs
Oadby, Leic 118.8 hrs
Towcester 146.4 hrs
