COL = Climatological Observers Link
PWS = Personal weather station
MO = Met Office
NRW = National Resources Wales
EA = Environment Agency
est = estimated
inc = including
cf = compared with
srb = since records began
CC = Chiffchaff
WW= Willow Warbler
ST = Song Thrush
BB = Blackbird
VW = very wet, W = wet, RW = rather wet, A = average, RD = rather dry, D = dry, VD = very dry
Bit of a mixed start, not much rain for most with some decent sunny spells, particularly Midlands:
Fri 3rd cool night which was nice, minima Llanwnnen & Swyddffynnon 5.0c (latter coolest MO in UK), other minima South Newington (N Oxon) 5.4c, Shobdon 7.1c, Coleshill 9.6c, Valley 13.7c. Nice day, plentiful sunshine and very warm parts of Mids (max Astwood Bank 26.7c, SB 26.4c, Cov 25.5c, Lwn 22.9c, Aberporth 21.9c, Aberdaron 18.5c).
Sun 5th another rather intense heatwave due this week, a few places meeting the threshold today (these being WW 25c, Marches 26c, most of Mids 27c): Maxima Pershore 28.5c, Coleshill & Hfd 27.5c, Cov 27.2c, CL 26.8c, CITE 26.2c, Lwn 24.9c, Nott 24.2c, Aberporth 18.1c.
Mon 6th more widely above heatwave levels today, maxima Pershore 30.8c, Coleshill & Cov 30.1c, M Bosworth 29.4c, Lwn 27.0c, Shawbury 26.5c, Aberporth & Whitchurch 25.2c (no Trawsgoed past few days), Swydd 24.3c, Aberdaron 16.6c.
Tue 7th sunny periods, hot much of Mids, very warm inland WW but cooler breezes coasts, maxima Pershore 31.5c, Astwood Bank & Wellesbourne 30.7c, CL 29.6c, Cov 29.3c, Usk 29.0c, CITE 28.5c, Lwn 27.0c, Watnall 26.8c, Whitechurch 25.2c, Swydd 23.2c, PS 19.8c, Aberporth 18.5c.
Wed 8th refreshingly cool night for rural inland Wales but a warm night parts of Mids, minima Lwn 8.2c, Swyddffynnon 8.8c, Shobdon & S Newington 11.7c, Valley 14.9c, Cov 16.2c, Nott 16.3c..Hot or very hot day widely, maxima Astwood Bank 33.2c, Coleshill 32.5c, CITE 32.4c, Cov 32.1c, M Bosworth & Shawbury 31.4c, Cardiff BP 31.2c, Lwn 29.9c, Whitechurch 28.8c, Swyddffynnon 27.3c, Aberdaron 20.1c; parts of Cardigan Bay affected by sea mist/ fog at times inc Llangrannog while Aberporth WS must have been above it as 14.4 hrs sun (with max 21c). Otherwise near unbroken sun, Lwn est 15.5 hrs, Valley 15.2 hrs, Shawbury 15.1 hrs, Nott 14.9c hrs.
Thu 9th refreshingly cool overnight inland rural Wales but a warm one much of the Mids, minima Swydd 7.9c, Lwn 9.2c, S Newington (Oxon) 11.1c, Shobdon 12.8c, PS 13.8c, Nott 16.4c, Cov 17.0c. Hot to very hot again. Mist and fog first thing here at Lwn ...maxima Astwood Bank 34.7c, CITE 34.5c, Cov 33.5c, CL 33.4c, Nott & Winterbourne 33.3c, Cardiff BP 31.3c, Pennerley (Salop) 29.5c, Lwn 28.8c, Swydd 27.3c, Aberporth 17.6c (more sea mist).
Fri 10th warm night in places cooler some in rural Wales; minima Coventry 19.0c (date record), ROW & S Bonington 17.3c, Porthmadog 16.5c, Lwn 10.5c, Shobdon 12.5c, Tirabad 9.8c. Very hot widely, maxima CITE 35.2c (UK hot spot), ROW 35.1c, Usk 34.3c, CL & Pershore 34.1c, Cov & Nott 32.9c, Lwn 32.7c midday (sea breeze after 1400 so 30c most of the afternoon), Porthmadog 31.9c, Pennerley 31.7c, Swydd 30.1c, Aberporth 24.7c.
Sat 11th tropical night at Porthmadog min 20.9c, other Cardiff BP 19.6c, MH 18.0c, Swydd 17.9c, Newport (Salop) 17.4c, Cov & Winterbourne 16.0c, Lwn 12.9c, S Newington 9.8c. Hot or very hot by day, most parts near unbroken sun once more, Mids though less hot with an east breeze, maxima Cardiff BP 32.4c, ROW 32.2c, Lwn 31.9c (early afternoon), Trawsgoed 30.7c, Shobdon, Swydd & Winchcombe (Sudeley Castle) 30.5c, CL 28.4c, Cov 28.1c, Watnall 26.9c, Aberporth 20.6c.
Sun 12th parts of E Mids only scraped the heatwave threshold today with a keen E breeze...for WW still very hot and here at Lwn this was the third consecutive day above 30c (the record is 4 days from June 2018 & Aug 2022). Max today Lwn 31.4c, Cardiff BP 31.2c, Gogerddan 30.9c, Porthmadog & PS 30.7c, ROW 30.4c, Aberporth, CITE & Pershore College 29.7c, Cov 27.7c, CL 27.6c, CC 26.6c, Nott 26.4c (just below heatwave threshold past 2 days now here).
Mon 13th NE breeze giving some relief today particularly Mids where the morning was widely cloudy, still made it into the very warm, even hot categories...maxima Hawarden & Porthmadog 27.9c, Lwn 27.7c, Gogerddan 27.5c, CITE 27.2c, Pershore College, PS & Trawsgoed 26.5c, Newport (Salop) 25.9c, Coventry 25.4c (ending the 8 day heatwave over 27c), Watnall 24.6c, Mona 22.1c. Cov cloudy to past midday so just 7 hours sun (other Lwn est 15 hours unbroken, Aberdaron 15.1 hrs, Shawbury 11.5 hrs).
Tue 14th widely very warm to very hot again, although below heatwave thresholds for parts of the Mids which again had N Sea cloud much of the morning as well some coasts, maxima Lwn 29.6c, Porthmadog 29.4c, Whitechurch 28.7c, ROW 28.4c, Trawsgoed 28.3c, CITE 28.2c, Cov 26.2c, Aberdaron & MH 25.9c, Watnall 25.2c, Mona 22.9c. Near unbroken sun Marches & most of Wales, Aberdaron 15.1 hrs, Lwn est 15 hrs, Aberporth, Mona & Shawbury 14.8 hrs, Nott 11.7 hrs, ROW 9.8 hrs, Cov 8.5 hrs,
Wed 15th again morning cloud for much of the Mids but sun afternoon along with Wales again, very warm to hot Mids, WW hot or very hot, maxima Porthmadog 29.8c, Lwn 29.6c, PS & Whitechurch 28.8c, ROW 28.0c, CITE 27.8c, CL 27.4c, Cov 26.6c, Nott 25.3c, Mona 24.4c.
First half of July 2026 exceptionally warm/ hot; very dry and very sunny
Unprecedented temperatures mean maxima average close to 30c in places, here at Lwn close to 27c mean max and 19c mean temperatures unprecedented here! 3 or 4c above average for most.
Most places little rain, Quite a few places completely rainless and are in a drought (16 days below 0.2mm).
Some spots up to the whole July sunshine average...
Mean maxima first half: Pershore 29.3c, CL 27.9c, Llanwnnen 26.9c (6c above average).
Mean temperatures: ROW 22.0c, Pershore 21.5c, Cov 21.4c, Llanwnnen & MH 19.3c.
Mean minima generally 13 to 15c (Lwn 11.9c).
Rainfall totals 1st to 0900 16th: Mona 1.2mm, CC 17mm, Aberporth 0mm, Llanwnnen 2.1mm, PS 0.6mm, MH 1.2mm; Nott 0.6mm, Coleshill 0mm, Cov 0.4mm, CL 0mm, Pershore 0.2mm, Hereford 0.8mm.
Sunshine totals 1st to 15th: Aberdaron 155 hrs, Aberporth 168 hrs, Llanwnnen est 168 hours, Nott 154 hrs, Shawbury 161 hrs, Coventry 145 hrs, Shobdon 162 hrs.
Thu 16th at least a cooler night for most inland, warm for coasts though as SSTs so high (4c above average Cardigan Bay) minima CC 9.0c, Shobdon 9.1c, Lwn 11.1c, Pershore, SB & Wellesbourne 13.9c, MH 17.3c, Aberdaron 17.6c. Generally hot or very hot, max Llanwnnen 30.8c making it the ninth day over 30c this year (contrast just one day in 9 years 2007 - 2025)! Other ROW 29.8c, Cardiff BP 29.6c, Gogerddan, Pershore & Trawsgoed 29.2c, CITE 28.8c, Cov 27.8c, M Bosworth 27.0c, Aberporth 22.8c.
Fri 17th nice cool night some rural areas, min Bala & Llanwnnen 8.1c, S Newington 8.2c, Swydd 9.7c, Shobdon 10.3c, Cov, Newport (Salop), Nott & SB 13.0c, MH 15.5c. Very warm/ hot once more with plentiful sunshine, maxima ROW 31.3c (UK hot spot), Usk 30.8c, PS 28.1c, Lwn 26.7c (max midday then N breeze), Cov 25.6c (so no heatwave this week with just 1 day over 27c since 12th ), Swydd & Trawsgoed 25.3c, Nott 24.9c, Gogerddan & M Bosworth 24.7c, Aberporth 19.5c. We were in Aberystwyth from mid afternoon where it felt very warm (24c perhaps) although catching a nice sea breeze sometimes.
Heatwave over for most but stayed mainly dry rest of the month:
Sat 18th refreshing night for many, minima Lwn 7c, CC 7.4c, Swydd & Trawsgoed 7.8c, Shawbury 9.2c, Cov 12.0c, Aberporth 15.0c. End of the 12 day heatwave here at Lwn, max today just 22.3c, also the end of the 13 day run of somewhere in the UK attaining 30c. Warmest place in the UK today being Exeter 27.4c.
Mon 20th very cool night widely, minima S Newington 3.6c, Tirabad 5.2c, Lwn 5.4c, CL 6.5c, Trawsgoed 7.5c, Cov 8.2c, Astwood Bank 10.4c, Aberdaron & MH 13.0c. Drought set to last most of this week, today unbroken sun WW while some cloudy spells Mids; back up to heatwave levels parts of Mids, maxima Pershore 28.6c (hottest in UK), ROW 27.9c, CITE 27.5c, Cov & Usk 26.6c, M Bosworth 25.7c, Shawbury 24.9c, MH & PS 23.8c, Lwn 22.9c, Aberdaron just 18.0c. Llanwnnen est 15 hours being slightly above the UK sunniest today (Glasgow 14.7 hrs, Aberporth 14.6 hrs, Nott 6.6 hrs).
Tue 21st sunny til mid afternoon here at Lwn then an unaccustomed rather cloudy spell and under 10 hours first day since July 4th. The 16 days of July 5th - 20th saw an astounding 217 hours sun!
ROW 28.2c hot spot today for UK, Hereford & Pershore 27.8c, CITE 27.7c (this one often seems a degree or so higher than nearest neighbours) Cardiff 27.4c, CL & Shawbury 26.4c, Watnall 25.8c, PS 24.3c, Lwn 22.7c, Trawsgoed 21.7c, Aberporth 16.8c.
Wed 22nd Usk, Monmouthshire on day 17 of the latest heatwave there (threshold 26c).
Thu 23rd Ross on Wye max 29.0c UK hot spot, also Pershore & Usk 28.2c, Cov 26.2c, Nott 25.6c, PS 24.6c, Shawbury 23.8c, Lwn 22.9c, Aberdaron 19.0c.
Fri 24th cool night, particularly on Anglesey (Mona min 7.1c), also Swydd & Trawsgoed 8.2c, Lwn 8.5c, Shobdon 9.9c, Valley 10.5c, Coleshill & Winterbourne 13.7c, SB 14.1c, MH 14.3c, Aberporth 14.9c. Warm sunny spells WW, warm to quite hot Mids again, maxima Astwood Bank 27.9c, ROW 27.7c, Usk 27.5c, Cov & Pershore College 27.2c, Shobdon 24.5c, PS 24.1c, Nott 23.4c, Lwn 22.7c, Aberporth & Valley 19.2c, CC 19.0c.
Sat 25th nice cool night some rural areas again, minima Tirabad 6.8c, Lwn 7.2c, S Newington 7.8c, Shobdon 8.6c, CL 9.9c, Cov 11.1c, Nott 12.8c, MH 14.6c.
Sun 26th just a little rain in places as weak fronts came down from the NW during the day, most places under 2mm, quite a few spots no measurable rain. The drought ended in the Coventry area with CL & Bablake both 0.6mm, also ended at Llanwnnen, just 0.3mm ending the 14 day dry spell. At King's Newnham 0.4mm ended a 32 day absolute drought, while for Cov and CL a mere 23 and 24 days respectively. The partial drought (an outdated [?] MO definition that few now are aware of) here at Llanwnnen is now 40 days (since June 17th just 9.4mm; 41 days in 2018 the record). A cooler day all locations under 26c. Maxima S Newington 25.5c, Wellesbourne 24.9c, Usk 23.4c, Cov 22.8c, MH 22.4c, Shawbury 21.9c, Watnall 21.1c, Lwn 20.7c, Aberporth 18.8c, and CC 17.0c (and 6mm rain).
Last week when the heatwave looked on for towards month end not just in England the 300 hr mark looked inevitable here at Lwn, however days of grey skies, spitting rain/ drizzle and just 20 - 22c maxima has made that much less likely unless the final 2 days are largely sunny (a possibility):
Tue 28th hot parts of Mids in spite of not being very sunny (sunny intervals), maxima Coningsby (Lincs) 31.0c (UK hot spot), S Bonington 28.7c, Cov 28.5c (unusually the W Mids hot spot), CITE 27.6c, Usk 27.1c, CL 26.9c, Shawbury & Winterbourne 26.7c, Trawsgoed 23.8c, Swydd 22.8c (unusually warmer than the Lwn 21.2c), Aberporth 22.0c, CC 18.0c.
Wed 29th warm night for some, minima Porthmadog 17.9c, MH 16.9c, Cov & Nott 16.2c, Trawsgoed & Tirabad 13.8c, Lwn 12.9c, Shobdon 12.3c, S Newington 10.5c. Hot/ very hot central & E Mids with plentiful sunshine, yet again much cloud SW Wales with the odd spot of rain....although brightened up later. Maxima Astwood Bank 30.5c, Cov 30.2c, Hfd 28.6c, Usk 27.3c, Shawbury 26.2c, Lwn 24.3c, Whitechurch 24.1c, Trawsgoed 23.5c, CC 19.6c. Nationally hot spot Writtle, Essex 35.2c.
Thu 30th a little rain and drizzle Wales am became more localised over the Mids pm. Cooler/ less warm, some rain in places, though most of Mids escaped dry. Caught 2mm here at Lwn. Maxima Hereford 25c, CITE 24.4c, CL 24.1c, Coleshill, Newport (Salop) & Winterbourne 23.6c, PS 22.7c, Shawbury 22.6c, Lwn 20.7c (it was sunny WW pm), Aberporth 17.8c.
Fri 31st 42nd day of our 'partial drought' since June 20th (just 7.3mm or 0.17mm ave per day). Cold late Summer night many rural areas, close to a grass frost here at Lwn (grass min +1.2c); air minima Lwn 3.6c, Swydd 3.9c, Tirabad 4.0c, Shobdon 5.2c, Shawbury 5.3c, Cov 10.8c, Aberporth 11.1c, Aberdaron 12.6c.
Nature notes
Not much bird song start of the month.
Thu 2nd Newquay, quite a few Chiffchaffs singing through the woodland path up from the car park to Maen y Groes chapel (never knew of this path). A few Swifts evening near the harbour then a pair at the gable apex corner of chimney (as first noticed about 5 years back).
Sat 4th 10 to 12 screaming Swift a decent display.
Sun 5th S Forestry evening Chiffchaffs and ST singing, 20 plus Swallow back at main gate dusk.
Rhyd y Bont: 20 plus screaming Swift as drove past slowly.
Bidder dusk: 30 to 40 screaming Swift easily the most this season; much banging at warehouse and forming discreet parties of 20-25 repeatedly.
Mon 6th Aberaeron evening c 8 screaming Swift harbour.
Ciliau Aeron driving back dusk c 8 Swift village central by school.
Tue 7th 15/ 20 screaming Swift hall dusk
Wed 8th 40 to 50 screaming Swift over Lampeter this evening (perhaps a few hirundines inc).
Lots of Butterflies using the garden this month so far inc Whites, Red Admiral, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled wood, Blues, Tortoiseshells.
Thu 10th Rhyd y Bont chapel 15 to 20 screaming Swift, dozen or so HM very active about their dozen nests.
S Forestry upper gate Darragh zone rough but at least dried out tracks: Tree Pipits and Stonechats. Nightjar 2150 close as approached the main track traversing the rough felled area as close as 30 metres and went along the track calling a lot and swooping but just one wing clap heard, then after it disappeared distant churring but briefly. This is potentially a good site as the trees (many saplings from the Darragh trees) grow.
Sat 11th church tower noticed for the first time this season as definite that Swallows were getting in and out despite the new louvres! They were seen and filmed to enter the south side and exit the west side. Perhaps the extra light afforded by the July heatwave and near unbroken sun permits them to see inside the belfry whereas earlier on it was too dark with the more cloudy skies? Most likely these are feeding a second brood by now (or first if they only just started going in and out again?) on several occasions I had earlier on thought they may have gone in or out as I have been paying special attention since the new louvres but could not be sure (back to May).
Mon 13th Swallow seen to enter tower just past sunset in fading light.
Blackbird has been feeding off the raspberries during this months heatwave, unfortunately the raspberries were doing well until the heatwave but are now shrinking and shrivelling up with few ripe ones left (normally going strong mid July still). Today a Thrush and a Blackbird feeding off small unripe blackberries clos to the extension, they must be getting desperate, there wont be many worms, slugs and snails now as the lawns are drying up. I have put plenty of containers of water out as well as the usual topping up the extension gutter that the Sparrows and sometimes Starlings use to bathe and drink (filling it up daily late afternoon as the shade comes over). Also have seen the Blue Tits in there quite often.
Mid month: chicks audible from only one place now in the hall (front near the bench) there should still be more at this stage as few would have fledged by mid July so suspecting high mortality due to the prolonged heatwave (maxima above 27c since early month) however would have expected to see dead ones that fell out were this the case so a bit of a mystery?
Hay fever all but over thankfully as everywhere dried out excepting some of the outgrown refugia in the garden. Grasshoppers all over the lawns seem to love the heatwave, still lots of butterflies inc Gatekeepers, Speckled Wood, Painted Lady (?) or Large Tortoiseshell (?), Holly Blue, Red Admirals, Meadow Browns, Ringlet.
Thu 15th Aberduar good screaming party this evening, 12 - 15 birds with several entries to nest sites. Wall staining/ poo piles suggests 4 or 5 nests, could be more as newer soffit may be retaining some?
4 Swallow chicks perhaps a week or so old in porch would be the second brood as they had one in June.
S Forestry not much bird song now, the odd Chiffchaff and Tree Pipit.
Fri 17th driving to Aberystwyth many brown fields and hillsides getting a bit like 1995. Many trees showing 'Autumn' colours 2 or 3 months early and also shedding leaves, a few may have succumbed.
Thu 23rd S Forestry: green still holding sway up here thankfully still water in places, the bit down by the main road has plenty of shade now as the trees grown around it but is turning boggy. 10 Swallow feeding, Stonechat family alarmed.
Rhyd y Bont driving past slowly 20 - 25 frenzied Swift dusk. Then car park about 20 of the same with entries seen to old station and warehouse, nests evidenced by poo on the ground below.
Fri 24th Newquay lots of HM counted almost two dozen nests, a dozen of which along Ivy Place (6 on one house alone see video). Solitary Swift early evening, droppings beneath the apex nest by car park.
Late month: Swifts much less evident now, no more chicks in hall I think, Fri 25th 3 arrived at dusk but none the following dusk.
Tue 28th handed out Swift awareness folders to meeting at church this evening. Awaiting approval for leasing the hall still, the church had its final service on Sunday and will soon be made redundant. I mentioned potential community & biodiversity grants from 'local places for nature'.
Lots of Swallows over the church dusk, no Swifts.
Wed 29th no Swifts Lampeter this evening, very quiet.
Thu 30th much Swallow activity church it was the fledglings from the tower. About 4 of them, the adults constantly going in and out of the tower but the chicks not yet getting the hang of it, fluttering around the louvre openings and congregating on the stonework framework of the openings. Watched and filmed them for near half hour, I am thinking they were not yet skilful enough in flight (this perhaps their first day outside) or that it was lack of light as to me it appears very dark going into the tower. Perhaps they are going to have to risk it roosting outside tonight (it was a cold night down below 4c)?
Also 2/3 Swift around, also could here some moving around within the nest sites (one west side and one from within the east side (N end). Pretty sure there are no chicks this past week or so.
Fri 31st Llangrannog: Plenty of HMs and their nests (as noted earlier in the Summer), 4 close to fledging chicks precariously sat in their nest above the former Tafell Pizza building, the nest has started to fall away with a large opening and looks far from safe. As no adults paid them a visit in the half hour we observed them most likely they are ready to go anyway! Filmed these.
Llanwnnen Swifts again audible from within the hall.
Swallows not attempting to enter the tower this evening (presuming the same ones), 10 of them had gathered on a wire over the junction opposite the Grannell by dusk (hopefully safe?).
Summary July 2026
Exceptionally warm, very dry and very sunny.
Some places had their warmest month on record such as here at Llanwnnen, mean temp 17.9c narrowly beating 17.7c from 2006. For others it was second warmest after 2006. At Coventry equal with 2026 (mean temp 20.5c (+3.1c). Mean temps generally 2 or 3c above averages.
From the Met Office:
Temperatures: Wales records its joint warmest July on record
The dry conditions have been accompanied by exceptional warmth across much of the UK. Provisional statistics show:
- Wales has recorded its joint warmest July for mean temperature on record, joining 2006 and 1983 with a mean temperature of 17.8°C
- The UK has seen its second warmest July for mean temperature on record.
- England has seen its second warmest July for mean temperature on record.
Nationally both England & Wales had the driest July on record, the average for Wales being 9.3mm.
Driest month on record here at Llanwnnen) total 4.5mm (beating 8.9mm May 2020). Only 2 drier months in the very long Coventry record (both previous months had 0.8mm)
Partial drought 42 days both June 17th - July 29th (9.5mm in that period) and again June 20th - July 31st (just 7.3mm averaging 0.17mm/ day). This may last a few more days into August before the expected showers next week?
No doubt a few spots had a 0mm month? Well not quite in our regions (driest Shobdon & Shawbury both 0.2mm), but Little Rissington (Cotswolds) 0mm. Also Tenbury Wells (Worc) a COL site 0.0mm.
Bablake 1.0mm = there have been just two drier months in Coventry (driest still July 1885 0.8mm and September 1959 0.8mm). As for Rugby area the driest month is??
Sunniest month in my estimations too here with 298 hours beating 278 hrs from July 2013 (which was the first month of webcam estimations). Coventry 280 hours looks like only a couple of sunnier months in the city (record May 2020 288.5 hours). Much of southern England (and parts of Wales) over 300 hours.
Of note is that as of July 31st 2026 this year has had an estimated 1017 hours sunshine here at Lwn which is more than during the whole of 2024 (est 1011 hours).
