Weather log August 2024
Key:
WW= Willow Warbler
ST = Song Thrush
BB = Blackbird
Thu 1st warm night Mids, lows Hereford 17.9c, Pershore 16.4c, Coventry 17.2c, Shawbury 15.6c, Trawsgoed 15.5c, Mona 12.6c, Lwn 11.8c. Local downpours and isolated thunder early hours into morning with over an inch parts of Brum (Sutton Coldfield (EA) 26.4mm and Short Heath (PWS) 36mm in one hour. Further thunderstorms broke out S & E Mids pm these locally torrential over 2 inches; one such storm affected the area between Coventry & Rugby early evening with much TL and localised flooding, King's Newnham (EA) gauge caught 18mm in one hour (total 23mm) while just 3 miles south Church Lawford (MO) escaped with just 1mm, a mile or so north of King's Newnham near Easenhall a PWS had 46mm. Another EA gauge at Kibworth (Leic) caught 34mm in the hour 7 to 8pm (43mm total). It was another warm to hot day, last of a 4 day heatwave much of Mids (over 27c): maxima CL & Pershore 28.1c, Coventry 27.0c, CITE 26.7c, Nott 25.7c, Pembrey Sands & Shawbury 24.8c, Lwn 23.6c, MH & Trawsgoed 22.9c, Aberporth 18.8c.
Fri 2nd still very warm sunny periods Mids close to 80f in places, maxima: Pershore 25.9c (79f), Nott 25.5c, CL, Coleshill & Coventry 25.2c, CITE 24.8c, Shawbury & Shobdon 23.3c, Trawsgoed 21.8c, Aberporth 21.6c, Lwn 20.5c, CC 18.1c.
Mon 5th warm night across WW, minima Trawsgoed & Pembrey Sands 16.8c, Lwn 15.9c, Shobdon 15.3c, CL 14.1c, CC 13.9c.
Fri 9th warm night Mids, minima CL & Pershore 17.1c, Nott 16.1c, Pembrey Sands 15.3c, CC 13.7c, Lwn 13.1c.
Sat 10th start of a rather brief warm/hot spell; maxima Pershore 26.3c (warmest in UK), Shobdon 25.2c, Sutton Bonington 25.0c, Coventry 24.9c, Llanwnnen 22.7c, MH 20.9c, Aberdaron 18.0c. Sunny intervals many places, here it became sunny pm.
Sun 11th widely very warm or hot after a relatively cool night (Llanwnnen low 7.2c). Sunny periods Mids, sunny spells WW, maxima Pershore 29.2c, Coleshill 28.0c, Hereford & Lwn 27.7c, CITE & Coventry 27.4c, Nott & Shawbury 26.8c, Pembrey Sands 26.1c, Aberporth 25.7c, Aberdaron 22.2c. The heat plume proper arrived during the evening (20c upper air temperatures at 850mbar level into south UK) with elevated thunderstorms over the Irish Sea, lightning visible parts of Wales.
Mon 12th 'tropical night' (not below 20c) parts of Wales: here at Llanwnnen a record warm night, after a dip in temperatures 2100 to 19.8c, most of the night 21 or 22c; noted several PWS 23 or 24c WW during the early hours this is exceptional, also Aberporth & Trawsgoed 22 or 23c much of the night. The less warm air mass arrived dawn, minima 19.6c Lwn 0840 (beating 17.8c July 2014). Other minima Trawsgoed 21.0c, Aberporth & Pembrey Sands 18.7c, Pershore & Shawbury 18.5c, CC 17.9c, CL 17.1c, Nott 15.0c. Thundery showers in places overnight, lasting into day time parts of Mids (plentiful TL Brum morning also heard from Coventry). Hot sunny spells much of the Mids also localised thundery showers, particularly E Mids afternoon. For WW much cooler and fresher but with sunny spells. Some places cooler by day than during the previous night, e.g. Aberporth down to 17 or 18c by day (Llanwnnen managed 23.5c however). Other maxima (from 0900) Astwood Bank 28.8c, Coventry 28.7c, CITE 27.5c, Shawbury 24.5c, Trawsgoed 20.8c, Aberporth 19.1c. Cambridge NIAB the UK hot spot at 34.8c today.
Tuesday 13th still warm and sunny Mids, WW cloudy and became rather wet, over an inch in places, although NW Wales did not have much; maxima Wellesbourne 26.2c, Coventry 26.0c, Nottingham 25.5c, Shobdon 22.5c, Lwn 17.6c, Aberdaron 16.3c; rainfall Pembrey Sands 24.4mm (wettest in UK) although Tavernspite NRW gauge (Pembs) 34mm; Llanwnnen 15mm more typical of mid & SW Wales.
Wed 14th in contrast to yesterday most of WW had a fine day with plentiful sunshine, much of the Mids (away from brighter Marches) cloudy with light rain or drizzle in places; temperatures generally 18 to 21c (Lwn 20.4c felt warm) but MH max 23.8c and Newport (Salop) 22.0c; Aberporth sunniest and coolest place in Wales (max 17.3c, 12.5 hours sun).
First half August has been warm, variable rainfall with sunshine rather dull to average. Much of the Mids dry so far, WW more variable from rather dry to wet (a few spots in SW Wales over the whole August average).
Rainfall totals Aug 1st - 0900 16th:
CC 94.0mm (average for first half)
Trawsgoed 44.6mm (average)
Llanwnnen 50.3mm (average)
Aberporth c 33mm (average)
Pembrey Sands 67.0mm (wet)
MH 37.8mm (average)
Nott 11.6mm (very dry)
Coleshill c 22mm
Coventry 9.6mm (very dry)
KN (EA near Rugby) 30.6mm (average)
CL 8.2mm (very dry)
Pershore 6.8mm (very dry)
Shobdon 20.6mm (dry)
Sunshine 1st to 15th:
Llanwnnen 64 hours (estimated, rather dull)
Nott 75.5 hrs (average)
Coventry 75.4 hrs (rather dull)
Shobdon (Herefordshire) 64.2 hrs (rather dull)
Sat 17th cool night widely, Llanwnnen min 4.1c cooler than lowest official UK reading (Shobdon 4.6c), other Swyddffynnon 5.1c, Hereford 5.8c, CITE 6.9c, Pembrey Sands 7.4c, Coventry 8.1c, mild 14.0c, at Aberdaron however.
Thu 22nd warm night (above 15c) much of S Wales and Mids, minima Pembrey Sands 15.9c, Pershore 15.8c, Coventry 15.2c, MH 15.1c, Nott 15.0c, Trawsgoed 14.7c, Lwn 14.2c, CC 13.3c.
Fri 23rd named storm 'Lilian' brought strong winds overnight gusting to 70mph in exposed locations, highest gusts CC 73mph, Aberdaron 69mph, Aberporth 66mph, Shawbury 55mph, Trawsgoed 46mph, Coventry 37mph.
Tue 27th warm night WW, minima Pembrey Sands 16.8c, Trawsgoed 16.0c, Lwn 15.2c. In contrast rather cool and damp by day, max just 17.3c Lwn and 18.3c PS.
Wed 28th slow moving fronts stuck over Wales past 2 days bringing over an inch in places, isolated lightning sferics north of Llandeilo (Carms) this morning.
Pleasant last few days to Summer 2024:
Sat 31st warm and sunny WW, Lwn max 23.1c, Whitechurch (Pembs) max 23.5c warmest in UK; other max Pembrey Sands 22.3c, CITE 21.9c, Pershore 21.3c, Coventry 19.8c, CC 19.0c.
Nature notes
Thu 1st sat in the Uni quadrangle for 45 minutes during which 3 or 4 Swift made screaming visitations on 3 separate occasions.
Fri 2nd scream heard from within hall dusk, no chicks audible now.
Sat 3rd glimpse of a Swift flew over garden afternoon.
Early Aug: Forestry plenty of Grasshoppers one fine afternoon, hardly any in our gardens this Summer.
Lots of Large White Butterflies in the garden this month, also a few others such as Speckled Wood & Meadow Brown; June/ July there were few Butterflies about.
Sun 11th after a hot humid day 20 to 30 mostly House Martin and some Swallow above the gardens this evening feeding and calling constantly.
Mon 12th Aberaeron: Sparrowhawk flew over my head quite low and into a tree as I walked an alleyway.
Mid month plentiful hirundines most days (especially evenings, saw some House Martins prospecting a neighbours apex 16th.
Thu 22nd Kingfisher zipped past us along the river in the Uni this afternoon very close, it shot under the bridge by the Student Union building.
Month end plentiful hirundines still most days at times.
August 2024 summary
Temperatures average to rather warm, variable rainfall, rather dull to average sunshine
Much of Mids very dry (under half average), parts of WW in contrast almost double the average.
Sunshine rather dull to average.
Rainfall totals August 2024
Capel Curig, Snowdonia 218.8mm (115%)
Mona, Anglesey 74.4mm (average)
Aberdaron, Llyn Peninsular 68.6mm (average)
Trawsgoed, Ceredigion 80.0mm (ave)
Aberporth, near Llangrannog c 54mm (rather dry)
Llanwnnen 83.4mm (82%)
Pembrey Sands, Carms 109.6mm (115%)
Milford Haven, Pembs 75.2mm (ave)
Mumbles, near Swansea (no longer in operation)
Nottingham 20.6mm (very dry)
Shawbury, Salop c 25mm (very dry)
Coleshill c 33mm (very dry)
Coventry, Bablake School 21.4mm (34%)
CL, Warks 21.6mm (34%)
Pershore, Worc 15.2mm (25%)
Shobdon, Herefords 32.2mm (50%)
King's Newnham EA gauge (near Rugby) 44.0mm
National Resources Wales (NRW) rain gauges August 2024
Llyn Cefni, Ynys Mon 103.0mm (average)
Bethesda Quarry (Gwynedd) 90.2mm (rather dry)
Cwm Dyli (Snowdonia) 372.4mm (wet & wettest location in UK)
Abersoch (Llyn Peninsular) 77.0mm (ave)
Corris (near Machynlleth) 211.4mm (ave)
Bow Street (near Aberystwyth) 83.0mm (average)
Pontrhydfendigaid (near Tregaron, Ceredigion) 80.4mm (rather dry)
Rhos Ymryson (near Gorscoch and 5 miles NW of Lwn) 95.4mm (rather dry)
Cellan (2 miles NE of Lampeter) 73.2mm (rather dry)
Pencader (Carms) 137.0mm (ave)
Abergorllech (Brechfa Forest, Carms) 156.0mm (rather wet)
Rhydargaeau (Carms) 167.2mm (rather wet)
Garnswllt (near Ammanford, Carms) 139.4mm (rather wet)
Felinfoel (near Llanelli, Carms) 127.6mm (rather wet)
Ferwig (near Cardigan) 50.6mm (dry)
Maenclochog (near Preselis, Pembs) 181.4mm (rather wet)
Tenby (Pembs) 103.4mm (rather wet)
Bolton Hill (near Haverfordwest, Pembs) 72.2mm (rather dry)
COL stations rainfall August 2024
Llansadwrn, Anglesey 86.4mm (96%)
Ludlow, Salop 33.0mm (49%)
Alvechurch, Worc 33.0mm (44%)
Warstock, Brum 32.8mm (47%)
Cosby, Leic 43.0mm (66%)
Hinckley 27.4mm
Towcester, Northants 31.9mm (50%)
Sunshine totals Aug 2024
Llanwnnen estimated 123 hours (76%)
Aberdaron 175.6 hrs
Nottingham 158.4 hrs
Coventry, Bablake School 162 hours (93%)
Shobdon, Herefordshire 129.2 hrs (77%)
COL stations sun
Ludlow 137.4 hours
Alvechurch, Worc 121.1 hrs
Cosby 158.3 hrs
Towcester 192.1 hrs
Summer 2024 summary
Cool or average temperatures; dull/ average sun; rain varied from very dry to rather wet
Many places had below average rain this Summer, just half the average parts of the Midlands; WW varied from rather dry to rather wet.
Llanwnnen coolest Summer srb 2006 (mean temp 14.2c).
Bablake school, Coventry coolest Summer since 2015 although the mean temperatures was close to average illustrating how warm Summers have been of late.
Llanwnnen no thunder heard at all (previous least 1 day Summer 2011).
Rainfall Summer 2024
Mona, Anglesey 185.6mm (near average)
Capel Curig, Snowdonia 393.6mm (rather dry)
Trawsgoed 218.6mm (near average)
Aberporth c 164mm (rather dry)
Llanwnnen 193.9mm (72%)
Pembrey Sands 205.6mm (rather dry)
Milford Haven 171.0mm (rather dry)
Nottingham 150.6mm (rather dry)
Shawbury, Salop c 134mm (rather dry)
Coleshill c 114mm (dry)
Coventry 111.0mm (61%)
CL 89.0mm (50%)
Pershore 89.8mm (dry)
Summer 2024 sunshine
Aberdaron 561.6 hours (average)
Llanwnnen (estimated) 375 hours (74%)
Nottingham 491.6 hrs (average)
Coventry 550 hrs (98%)
Shobdon 448 hrs (rather dull)
