SUMMARIES: 1990 to latest

A word of caution re: the 'warmest' and 'sunniest' data.

1. I have used the generally published figures from various Daily or Monthly Weather Summaries, and other sources. This means that sometimes, values are used that are later questioned: in particular, some stations have been found to be non-representative when careful later checks are made. I have used some of the 'roof-top' sites, (e.g. London, Cardiff), but remember that these are generally regarded as poor when set alongside the more 'standard' ground-level settings. Also note that these data (where known / given) are simply the locations we know of! They are not meant to be exhaustive: just giving the broad idea of where the warmest (or sunniest) spots were, and with what value. In some cases, I do not know the exact value, so the value to the nearest degC (temperature) or h (hours of sunshine) is listed.

2. Sunshine can be mis-reported for all sorts of reasons, and it is not unknown for coastal resorts to 'massage' the figures! Note that sometimes, sunshine from the previous day can be carried forward to the current one: this is a result of some reporting stations being required to return sunshine totals for the 24hr up to 6pm local time - therefore the previous evening's sunshine may well intrude. However, I have quoted all figures below without editing as long as they look reasonable. Note also that in the 'sunniest' sections, in the earlier years I have ONLY used stations from England, Wales and Northern Ireland (and also the Channel Islands if applicable). If stations in Scotland have had markedly better sunshine figures than elsewhere, then I will make mention in the text for these; for the latter part of the series though, all stations are used.

1990: (24th - 27th August)
NOTABLY THUNDERY START THEN FINE/WARM, LOCALLY VERY WARM.
Warmest = 31.8degC (Barbourne [Worcestershire]/24th)
Sunniest = 12.8h (Guernsey [Channel Islands]/26th)

[NB: The Barbourne record is now thought to be 'too warm', but is here quoted as it has entered the records various.]
Generally warm (locally very warm or hot across the Midlands, East Anglia & the south of England), with a lot of fine weather, but on the 24th (Friday) and 25th (Saturday), there were thunderstorms in some areas, with localised heavy / torrential downpours, especially in north-east England on the 24th, and in Essex, Kent and parts of Hertfordshire on the 25th. The best sunshine was found around the (relatively cooler) coastlines, whilst inland, convective build-up of cloud tended to limit the amounts of sunshine. For example, the listed sunniest places on all four days were: Clacton, Eastbourne, Teignmouth, Torquay, Guernsey and Ventnor .. all with 11 or more hours of bright sunshine on at least a couple of these days: inland, London was typical, with just 22h of sun across the whole 4 days, and average of just 5.5h per day.

1991: (23rd - 26th August)
UNSETTLED EARLY: BECOMING WARM/ANTICYCLONIC. NOTABLY SUNNY SOUTH COAST.
Warmest = 27.0degC (Heathrow [West London]/26th)
Sunniest = 13.5h (Southsea [South Hampshire coast]/24th)

NOTABLY FINE/WARM HOLIDAY
Cool and windy in many places on the 23rd (Friday), after a short, very warm spell earlier in the week. There were blustery showers as a depression moved away northeastward. In its wake, pressure rose strongly, and an anticyclone dominated the weather across the country from the Saturday onwards. The weather became generally very warm and quite sunny for the bulk of the holiday weekend, with most sun along the south coast where Southsea and Ryde each logged over 100 hours of bright sunshine during the last 8 days of the month. Hastings had its sunniest day of the month on the 24th (Saturday). For Northern Ireland and parts of Northwest England, not so fine, as a cold front moved down from the northwest, introducing cloudier skies & holding down daytime temperatures.

1992: (28th - 31st August)
UNSETTLED, CYCLONIC/COOL: OFTEN WINDY. UNUSUALLY DEEP DEPRESSION.
Warmest = 21.8degC (Coltishall [Norfolk] & Wattisham [ Suffolk]/28th)
Sunniest = 11.8h (Waddington [Lincolnshire] & Colwyn Bay [North Wales]/31st)

In a very disturbed end to the month, ushered in on the 22nd by a deepening depression, this Bank Holiday was particularly 'autumnal'. An unusually deep depression tracked across Ireland and Scotland. Its central pressure fell to 971 mbar overnight 30th/31st (Sunday / Monday) over north-west Scotland - the third lowest in August in the 20th century anywhere in the UK. Most days saw some rainfall, with some of it heavy, and it was generally windy; especially so on the Sunday, when it was also distinctly cool. Very windy over Scotland, but not so bad further south. The Holiday Monday was not too bad, but cool and windy. Temperatures for many on this day did not rise above 18degC (with a definite 'wind-chill') , and Malvern [Worcestershire] was the warmest place this day at just 18.4degC. Northern Ireland had a decidedly indifferent holiday, with day-maxima generally around 15degC, rather fitful sunshine and often strong winds.

1993: (27th - 30th August)
MOSTLY DRY/ANTICYCLONIC: BECOMING WARMER. NOT A BAD MONDAY IN SOUTH.
Warmest = 24.5degC (Ross-on-Wye [Herefordshire]/30th)
Sunniest = 13.3h (Morecambe [Lancashire]/30th)

During a rather cool month, it grew rather less cool towards the end of the month, and the 30th (Monday), was warm and bright over southern Britain, though the warmest day of the month in places like Durham, Ringway, Valley and Aldergrove occurred on the Tuesday, when everyone got back to work! Only a day or so before the Bank Holiday weekend though, some distinctly chilly nights must have put the campers off. Certainly a cool Friday. But not a bad Sunday and Monday especially across southern areas where temperatures climbed to 23 or 24degC for many inland spots (and also sheltered south and west coastal areas). Sunshine also became quite a feature by Monday. [NB: a fine weekend in Scotland, when temperatures reached 21degC in the Highlands - but of course, it was not a general holiday in that country.]

1994: (26th - 29th August)
CYCLONIC: SCATTERED SHOWERS. MAINLY FINE CENTRAL & SOUTHERN AREAS.
Warmest = 24.5degC (Heathrow [West London]/26th)
Sunniest = 12.5h (Swanage [Dorset]/28th)

After a warm, but rather thundery start to the month, a cyclonic westerly type took control from the 23rd to the 28th, followed by a weak northward-moving ridge of high pressure. Temperatures at first were around the seasonal average, with scattered showers and one or two thunderstorms: becoming somewhat cooler, but essentially dry as the days went by. On the 26th (Friday), many places had the sunniest day of the month across northern England and Northern Ireland. However, it can't be said to have been a wonderful weekend across Northern Ireland and Northwest England: temperatures were always a degree or so below average, with a brisk, sometimes gusty west wind - there was rain on all days, and sunshine was best described as 'fitful'. Further to the east, and particularly across Southeast Britain, it was drier, less windy and when the sun did come along, it stayed out longer. Indeed, across east and northeast England, as often in brisk westerly types, some extended sunshine was enjoyed on Holiday Monday - many areas up to 11h for the day, not far off the maximum possible for so late in August.

1995: (25th - 28th August)
MOSTLY DRY; BECOMING WARM FOR A TIME, THEN COOL FROM NORTH.
Warmest = 26.2degC (Hurn [Bournemouth]/25th)
Sunniest = 13.0h (Bastreet [Cornwall]/28th)

After a heatwave earlier in the month (from the 15th to the 22nd), when the public must have thought they were "set fair", (temperatures reached or exceeded 30 degC daily), a cold front moved slowly south-eastwards, ending the heatwave; most places had little rain on this front. It stayed fairly warm for a few days more, but with a blustery northwest wind early in this weekend. A weak frontal system was embedded in the flow, along with assorted troughs and by the 27th (Sunday), it was generally rather cool across the north with scattered showers. Southern England experienced the best of the conditions: on Friday, temperatures reached 26degC widely, from London & the Home Counties to the English south coast (near unbroken sun for many), and the afternoon high's were only a little lower the next day (Saturday). Temperatures on Sunday and Monday were 4 or 5degC lower (but still reached 22 or 23 degC on the south coast), with large amounts of sunshine - 11 to 13h for many southern areas sheltered from the north wind.
[ August 1995 was the hottest such-named month in the Central England Temperature (CET) series: the series extends back to 1659. ]

1996: (23rd - 26th August)
SHOWERY & COOL. OFTEN WINDY. FINE COASTAL SUNSHINE MONDAY.
Warmest = 22.7degC (Manston [Kent]/25th)
Sunniest = 13.0h (Folkestone [Kent]/26th)

During the 22nd (Thursday) and 23rd (Friday), heavy thundery rain associated with an Atlantic depression spread north-eastwards across the whole country, with 25-50 mm recorded at several places. The Bank Holiday weekend, 24th-26th, (Saturday to Monday) was very showery, quite windy at times, and rather cool. On the 24th (Saturday), Ringway [Manchester] had 20.8 mm of rain in 24hr, and Rhoose [Cardiff] 22.3 mm. On Monday, coastal areas had plenty of sunshine: Folkestone 13.0hr for example. However, as often with showery types, areas well inland experienced much cloudier conditions, with Belfast and Manchester scraping just 1 or 2h of sunshine on Monday, and afternoon maxima just 15 or 16degC, a good couple of degrees below the late August average.

1997: (22nd - 25th August)
BECOMING UNSETTLED/COOLER AFTER VERY WARM START IN SOUTH. LOCAL DOWNPOURS.
Warmest = 30.1degC (Manston [Kent]/23rd)
Sunniest = 12h (Waddington [Lincolnshire]/22nd & Belfast [Northern Ireland]/24th)

Becoming steadily unsettled and cooler after a local very warm start. On Friday, some heavy rain in the West Country and South Wales but dry and warm or very warm elsewhere. Afternoon temperatures reached 23 to 25degC quite widely from Manchester & other northern areas of England down to much of southern England. The afternoon high reached 27degC at Bedford. On Saturday, rain spread across the north and west, including Northern Ireland, but dry/humid and still very warm weather persisted across East Anglia and the southeast of England; once again, temperatures well into the mid-20's degC, with 27degC in London and 30degC in east Kent. On Sunday, cloudy/humid with rain for many, but dry over Northern Ireland and mostly dry in the southeast. Heavy rainfall was reported on the Monday, though Northern Ireland had a fair day with lower humidity.
The decline in temperature over this weekend was accompanied by some local heavy rainfall .. 23rd (Saturday) Waddington [Lincolnshire] 23.8mm; 24th (Sunday) Cambridge 19.0mm and Lyneham [Wiltshire] 20.0mm. However, as always in these situations, many escaped - for example, the total daytime rainfall in Manchester over these 4 days was just 3mm, and in London, only 2mm fell, all on the Holiday Monday.
(August 1997 was a notably hot month: the 2nd hottest August on record, and the third warmest ANY month across England & Wales in a series that extends back to 1659.)
(Scotland often much sunnier than elsewhere, with the sunniest spot here on Fair Isle [between Orkney & Shetland] on 24th (Sunday) with 13.8h: not a general holiday here though.)

1998: (28th - 31st August)
FINE/WARM START, SPOILT BY LARGE AREAS CLOUD: FRESHENING WIND MONDAY.
Warmest = 24.3degC (Bristol/30th & St.Helier [Jersey, Channel Islands]/31st)
Sunniest = 12.7h (Torquay [South Devon]/30th

Friday & Saturday: anticyclonic type with a weak frontal system crossing northeast Scotland bringing a little rain in places; elsewhere, mainly dry weather with bright skies, but the sunshine was spoilt by large areas thick, high cloud; the best weather was in Cornwall, the Channel Islands and, on Saturday, across the central lowlands of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Western Isles. Southern England also had 7 to 10h of sunshine. Conversely, many areas in the English Midlands, East Anglia, Northern England and north & east Scotland were rather cloudy: some 1 to 5h of sunshine. Sunday: dry virtually everywhere; reasonably sunny in the west, north & far south (e.g. Channel Islands 12h, Cornwall 11-13h; central Lowlands Scotland 11 or 12h, Belfast 9 or 10h): temperatures up to 21degC. Once again, areas of thick cloud affected Eastern England (including SE England and London) with many places having less than 5h, and a chilly breeze springing up. Monday: a freshening southeast wind, especially affecting western and northern areas. Temperatures 18-22degC; rain into Northern Ireland, and NW Wales by midday, then spreading to many other western areas albeit in a showery form, by early evening. Sunshine was limited, except in East Anglia (7-11h), London / Home Counties (6-8h) & parts of Scotland (7-8h); Overall, the holiday was best for Cornwall, the English south coast, and the Channel Islands in particular. The disappointment was the increase in wind for many coastal areas which, despite reasonable temperatures (> 21degC), and increasing upper cloud, did spoil the traditional Holiday Monday.

1999: (27th - 30th August)
FINE, REASONABLY WARM SOUTH; GOOD START NORTH: DOWNHILL WITH RAIN BY MONDAY.
Warmest = 26.1degC (Central London [Weather Centre]/28th)
Sunniest = 12.7h (Leeds [West Yorkshire]/27th & St.Mawgan [nr. Newquay, Cornwall]/30th)

Not a bad start on Friday, although with showery-rain in the north; fine & sunny for many southern & eastern regions with temperatures into the low 20's degC & bright sunshine / light winds; Saturday also was not too bad, & basically dry and sunny, although cloudier for Northern Ireland, West & Northern Scotland and much of West Wales. Temperatures over much of lowland England, east & southeast Wales and sheltered east and northeast Scotland in the range 22 to 25 degC, but cooling sea breezes affected many coasts; Freshening wind and cloudier skies heralded a downhill trend for the north on Saturday evening in the northwest. A 'north/south' split on Sunday, with the north (including northern England), cloudy with rain spreading from the west - not too much rain for northeast England, east and southeast Scotland. Better in the south, with temperatures into the low/mid 20's degC, and a 'bright' day - sunshine was though limited and rather fitful, except in the southeast. A similar split on Monday, with the south having a fine, reasonably warm day: temperatures in the afternoon just into the low 20's (i.e. lower than Sunday), with a bit of a wind; in the north, cloudy and breezy, with sporadic rain/drizzle and limited (if any sunshine), except in east and northeast Scotland where up to 5 to 7 hr was recorded, and maxima 20/21degC in places, so not all bad news for Scotland (But remember, not a general holiday here). Not so fine for Northern Ireland and NW England though: afternoon high's around 16 or 17degC, near-overcast skies and a blustery west wind. Taking the weekend as a whole, traditional coastal resorts of the south of Britain fared quite well - not spectacular, but with 7 to 10h of bright sunshine, and temperatures 19 - 22degC (up to 25degC in some of the warmer southeastern spots).

2000: (25th - 28th August)
WARM/SUNNY FRIDAY, THEN COOLER/UNSETTLED. SHOWERS FOR MOST: OFTEN HEAVY/THUNDERY.
Warmest = 30.8degC (Jersey [airport/Channel Islands]/25th)
Sunniest = 11.0h (Hurn [Bournemouth]/27th

Friday proved to be a good start to the weekend, with temperatures into the mid to upper 20's degC in many inland areas. A lot of dry weather too, but showers/thunderstorms developed in the west - extending eastwards during the evening & overnight. A showery day on Saturday with a consequent sharp reduction in day maximum temperatures. For example, the afternoon 'high' in Manchester on Friday was 27degC (with 10h of bright sunshine); the following day, hardly any sunshine and the temperature barely reached 20degC. Areas of heavy rain developed with largely cloudy skies. However, in the southwest of England, the showers faded away with reasonably sunny skies developing. Sunday continued the showery, unsettled theme - still thunder about, though amounts of rain were falling and amounts of sunshine increasing. Some south coastal English resorts did very well, with 10 or more hours of sunshine, little shower activity (showers developed inland), and afternoon temperatures up around 21 or 22 degC in places - sea breezes though a bit of a spoiler. Still showery on Monday, especially in the north and east, with some heavy / thundery downpours. Once again though along the south coast, and in many western areas there were few if any showers, and quite large amounts of sunshine. Not the most spectacular of Bank Holiday weekends, but not a complete disaster either.

2001: (24th - 27th August)
NOT BAD OVERALL: FINE MONDAY. SPOILT IN SE BY THUNDERY RAIN SUNDAY.
Warmest = 31.6degC (Central London [WC]/25th)
Sunniest = 13.5h (Lyneham [Wiltshire]/27th)

Friday: a belt of thick cloud (extensive low cloud & hill-fog), brought a lot of rain to Wales and Northern England, just nudging into Border Scotland and far eastern areas of Northern Ireland. To the northwest, a mainly fine/dry day, with occasional sunshine; to the southeast, fine, hot day, with temperatures widely 26 to 28degC across inland central and southern England & southeast Wales: extensive sea mist/fog in the southwest of England. Saturday: Fine, very warm (locally hot) across the southeastern half of England and in SE Wales: the warmest Bank Holiday Saturday in the London/Home Counties area since the holiday was switched to the end of August (in 1965 * - see below). Once again, misty, with areas of fog for some coasts. Thunderstorms developed across central and eastern England - becoming locally severe with hail later; for Northern Ireland, Northern England and Southern Scotland the day was cloudier with rain at times: it brightened up in places later; across N & W Scotland, a fine/breezy day with scattered showers. Sunday: miserable, oppressive (humid) day for many southern counties, especially across SE England: pulses of heavy rain, with local thundery downpours: the highest temps, given some early sunshine occurred in the extreme SE and around coasts. North & West Wales, Northern England, much of Scotland & Northern Ireland saw a few showers, but for many, a fine, dry day - reasonably sunny too. Monday: Fine, dry & largely sunny for most of the United Kingdom - certainly across England & Wales: rather more cloud built over Northern Ireland and Scotland, but it was still pleasantly bright: for example 10h of sunshine in Belfast. A few showers over Northern Scotland, but even these died away during day. Sea breezes kept some coasts cooler than inland - especially English Channel & Irish Sea coasts.
(* the temperature of 31.6degC at London [Weather Centre], exceeded the previous Bank Holiday Saturday value, when the (English) holiday was in early August, in 1943. However, note that this is a 'roof-top' site, and as such not as reliable as other, more open settings.)

2002: (23rd - 26th August)
MIXED BAG: BECOMING FINE/WARM INLAND SCOTLAND/NI; COOL/CLOUDY SE BRITAIN.
Warmest = 24.0degC (Hurn [Bournemouth]/24th)
Sunniest = 13h (Aldergrove [Belfast]/25th)

Friday: outbreaks of rain, some heavy, across much of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Patchy rain/drizzle early-on over England & Wales, then heavy showers / thunderstorms broke out across Southwest England & Wales, with these also affecting central and southern England (including the London area) during the evening. Irregular sunshine. Saturday: Northern Ireland was cloudy but mostly dry; drizzly-rain for eastern Scotland, but much of Scotland was dry and bright by afternoon. For England and Wales, showers about, with sunshine, but occasional heavy showers in the afternoon and evening, with thunderstorms (and tornado reports) for some. Warm over England & Wales, near-average temperatures elsewhere. Sunday: Early rain showers over SW England faded away; heavy showers developed over Southeast England; otherwise, a dry day: rather cloudy for England & Wales (though sunnier around the coasts); fine, often sunny across Scotland and Northern Ireland, indeed a very fine day for Ulster with 13h of sunshine in Belfast and a top temperature of 19degC, a couple of degrees above average. Warm in the south and southeast, and also in the sunnier, inland spots in the north. The warmest place this day, and for the entire weekend (though it occurred in Scotland - hence not included in figures above) - was Lochranza [Buteshire], where 25.0degC was recorded. Monday: Cool, cloudy/breezy day for east, central and southeast England, with sporadic drizzle or scattered showers: decidedly chilly in the brisk wind on/near eastern and southeast coasts; cloudy for the far northwest of Scotland, with occasional drizzle; otherwise, fine/sunny over Scotland, Devon & Cornwall, northwest England, much of Wales, the Channel Islands and eventually for Northern Ireland (after morning low cloud here finally breaks up). A pleasantly warm day in the Scottish Highlands (warmest place in the UK on this day was Glenlivet [Strathspey / Banffshire]), along with the far West of England and West Wales.
Another fine late-summer weekend for the Channel Islands, with lengthy periods of strong sunshine on all four days.

2003: (22nd - 25th August)
MOSTLY DRY; IRREGULAR SUNSHINE - GENERALLY ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.
Warmest = 28.3degC (Wisley [Surrey]/23rd)
Sunniest = 12.4h (Valley [Anglesey]/24th)

Friday: a frontal link straddled central areas of the country, bringing occasional rain from extensive cloud-cover; a fine day for much of Scotland, but windy with showers across the northeastern mainland and in the Northern Isles. Variable, mainly large amounts of cloud across the southern parts of Britain, but very warm: temperatures in the afternoon well into the mid-20's degC, with 27degC in some parts of Essex. Saturday: Scotland along with the far northeast of England had a fine, sunny day; broken cloud continued to cover northeastern Scotland and the Northern Isles. For Northern Ireland, Northern England, North Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia, there was a lot of cloud, with sporadic rain. Over remaining southern areas, cloud unsteadily broke up, and it turned increasingly sunny & very warm especially in the SW of England, Wessex and South Wales - though with some showers brewing up as the temperatures climbed. Foggy around Irish and Celtic Sea coasts. The highest temperature of the entire weekend occurred on this day at Wisley (see above), and it was pleasantly warm in most places across England, Wales & Northern Ireland despite an absence of any prolonged sunshine. Sunday: mainly dry - showers scattered about the West of England & South Wales (isolated heavy); it was generally cloudier in the west, where the remains of an old front refused to budge. However, it was fine/sunny for large areas elsewhere - albeit with a brisk east or northeast wind across southern areas & annoying sea breezes elsewhere. Monday: a lot of cloud - but sunny over west and northwestern Scotland, and also later on across the far southeast of England. Some drizzle from thicker cloud affected central & eastern England - with disappointing temperature levels under the persistent cloud cover; remaining windy in areas adjacent to the English Channel & quite generally across the southwest of Britain, with an enhanced wind-chill.
[ One of the 5 or 6 warmest Augusts in the Central England Temperature series - which started back in 1659. It was also part of probably the warmest summer across Europe as a whole since at least 1500.]

2004: (27th - 30th August)
CHILLY, BRISK WIND. RAIN FOR MOST, BUT SUNSHINE TOO. SOUTHWEST FAIR.
Warmest = 22.0degC (Brize Norton [Oxfordshire]/27th)
Sunniest = 12.0h (Skegness [Lincolnshire]/28th)

Friday: A cool, very windy day across far northern Scotland & the North Isles, with heavy, showery rain moving east through the day - Baltasound [Shetland] recorded 37mm in the 24hr to 7pm. Showery for a time northwest & west-coastal Scotland, but much of Scotland, Northern Ireland & northern England had a fine, rather breezy day; a few showers in the west, but also a lot of sunshine - chill in the wind, reasonable in shelter. Overnight thick cloud, rain & high humidity had reached South Wales, the South Midlands & much of southern England - slowly clearing through the day. Cloud broke from the north (temperatures just above 21degC), with a scattering of heavy showers in the brighter slot. Quite windy for a time on the south coast. Saturday: Strong, gusty winds far northern Scotland, & the North Isles slowly easing; showers for far north and northwest, and showery-rain becomes widespread across Scotland & Northern Ireland during the afternoon & evening. Despite this, some sunshine in northern areas, especially in eastern / sheltered districts. England & Wales had a largely dry, fine & bright day: a mix of stubborn cloud and strong sunshine: the sunniest place was Skegness [Lincolnshire] with 12hr, though more generally 4 to 7 hr were recorded; light winds too, though temperatures a little below average. Sunday: Scotland & N. Ireland had a rather cloudy, windy and often showery day: the rain persistent for a time north & western Scotland, but with cloud breaks & fitful sunshine, albeit with a distinctly chill wind. For England & Wales, bands of showery rain coming southeast, some of it heavy & locally thundery. However, sunshine also developed widely as the last of the rain-bands cleared during the afternoon. A brisk west or NW wind, & with temperatures below average, it needed strong sunshine & some shelter to feel the warmth. Monday: North and northeastern Scotland had a cool, largely cloudy, breezy day with showery rain, heavy in the morning & early afternoon. The rest of the UK also had a brisk west or northwest wind, so with afternoon temperatures below average, there was an added chill, especially in persistently cloudy regions. A fine, sunny morning in many southeastern areas and across Ireland , along with windward coasts elsewhere: cloud soon built-up / or spread across by midday with a scattering of showers, locally heavy, with thunder in the Midlands, the Home Counties & eastern England. However, much of SouthWest England, South Wales, the entire south coastal strip of England, SW Scotland (including the Glasgow region - 10hr of sun here) & windward western coasts had a fine, sunny day (but it was only warm out of the wind: around 10hr of sunshine at places like Tiree, Valley & many parts of Cornwall & Devon). Showers tended to decay by late afternoon.
( Overall, I would regard this as a good 'benchmark' for the British Public Holiday! )
[ This month was very wet overall for many parts of the United Kingdom, though with above-average temperatures.

2005: (26th - 29th August)
FINE/WARM SOUTH, CENTRAL & EAST; WINDY, SOME RAIN NORTH - SUNSHINE TOO.
Warmest = 27*degC (Lowestoft [Suffolk]/29th)
Sunniest = 13.5h (Weymouth [Dorset]/29th)
[ * may be a shade high, but in the right 'area']
Friday: A good deal of strong sunshine to start the day across Wales, much of England and many areas over east & NE Scotland - the sunshine lingering well into the afternoon across the Midlands & parts of the Home Counties; Northern Scotland / North & West Isles also kept a good deal of sunshine (7-9 hr) though here it was cool / windy with scattered showers. It was a cloudy start across some southern counties of England - soon clearing though, but many western & northern areas were cloudy from first-light with showery rain; through the day, increasing cloud cover for most with the rain becoming persistent over NW England, West-coastal Scotland (15.3mm of rain Port Ellen, Inner Hebrides) & N. Ireland, and showery rain widespread other western and northern regions - scrappy showers further east & south. A cool day - accentuated by the blustery west wind, and temperatures were well below average in the cloudier north & northwest. Even in the bright, fine southeast, afternoon maxima stopped short of average values.
Saturday: Some sunshine north & mid-Wales, together with the central 'strip' of England, but many places starting out cloudy. For NW Scotland, a breezy day with thickening cloud bringing rain from the Atlantic; elsewhere, a largely dry morning, though some showery-rain in the west and north. Through the afternoon & evening, remaining dry for most, but sharp showers in the far SW of England ( 8 mm at St.Mawgan, Cornwall ), and scrappy showers elsewhere in the north & west. Coastal areas of Wales & England fared well for sunshine, with 6 - 8 hr in many areas - the cloud much more persistent inland, though skies did brighten with occasional sunshine. Humid in the south - warmer than Friday in the north.
Sunday: A cloudy morning for Scotland, Northern Ireland & parts of far north & NW England; persistent rain central and northern Scotland, sporadic rain elsewhere across north. During the afternoon, NE England, east & NE Scotland brightened up - periods of sunshine, but it remained cloudy with heavy rain in the Highlands. Further south, much of Wales, central and southern England had a fine, sunny day [many places S. England & S. Wales 10 - 13 hr of bright sunshine] - becoming warm (22 to 24 degC) by early afternoon. A windy day in the north, with near-gales high ground and across NW Scotland.
Monday: Overnight gales & heavy rain cleared the far north of Scotland & the North / Western Isles (though remaining windy well into the late afternoon - Low at midday crossing Faeroes sea area 969 mbar), and early rain across Scotland & N. Ireland soon ended up as a fragmenting band of cloud & rain or drizzle from Wales to Yorkshire (morning) & from South Wales to East Anglia by early evening - little rain by this time though). To the north, fine (temperatures many lowland / sheltered areas a couple of degrees above average) if breezy day, with well - broken cloud & plenty of sunshine (9 hr many populated areas, with 12 hr Fife), with a scattering of blustery showers in the NW. To the south, most of southern, central & eastern England had a fine, very sunny (near-unbroken for many) & warm day. Temperature by mid-afternoon in the range 23 to 25 (locally 26/27) - but low cloud/mist & sea fog spoiled the day for a few coastal areas in the West Country - even here though, ending up fine.

2006: (25th - 28th August)
MOST PLACES HAD SHOWERS, BUT ALSO SUNNY, DRY SPELLS: OFTEN BRISK, COOL WIND.
Warmest = 23.8degC (Bournemouth / Hurn [Dorset]/27th)
Sunniest = 12.4h (Bournemouth [Dorset]/25th)

Friday: A chilly start for many across rural England & Scotland, with minima widely between 6 and 8degC, and locally down to 3degC in parts of upland Scotland & Northern England, with a local grass frost. Thick cloud brought rain to Northern Ireland & the far SW of Britain early in the day, this spreading erratically eastward, reaching Central and southern Scotland, NW England, W & N Wales & parts of the English Midlands by mid-afternoon. Elsewhere, fine & warm, with light winds & periods of strong sunshine for most - though some areas of upper cloud as well. By late afternoon and early evening, sporadic rain moved to other parts of Scotland, Northern England & much of Wales; fine, dry evening elsewhere. Afternoon temperatures around average for late August.
Saturday: A mild start for all, with mostly cloudy skies in the morning, and this was thick enough across all southern, western & north-western areas for fitful, though mostly light, rainfall. The brightest weather was found in east & NE England & parts of eastern Scotland. Quite breezy across SW Britain. Through the afternoon, much of SW Britain (including most of Wales), east & NE England, together with East Scotland, had a lot of fine & dry weather - sunshine totals low, except in the SW: scattered showers developed over eastern areas. Elsewhere, rather cloudier, with a scattering of showers (some quite sharp), but also dry, bright patches too. Near-average temperatures in the showery N & W , but a couple of degrees above along the sunnier south coast of England, together with some inland spots elsewhere across southern & eastern England & sheltered east & south of both Northern Ireland & Scotland.
Sunday: Showery rain across W & NW Scotland, along with parts of Northern Ireland, and a few showers elsewhere in the north & west, but for most, a fine, bright or sunny day - and even in the NW, it was bright/sunny at times in the morning. Through the afternoon, some heavy bursts of rain across Ulster, far SW & much of NE Scotland, and by evening, some heavy persistent rainfall over many north-western areas of the UK as thicker cloud spread further east: a brisk west wind - keeping west-facing coasts cooler; elsewhere, temperatures climbing well in prolonged sunshine in many southern areas - and in sheltered, sunnier spots further north.
Monday: Heavy rainfall (several hours at any one point) affected most of Northern Ireland, Wales then England overnight, clearing SE & Central Southern England by mid-morning; this was followed by bright, showery weather across the north & west. Fine, sunny weather elsewhere, though with a scattering of local showers inland - many coasts fine. Through the afternoon, South & mid Wales, the SW Midlands, all of SW & Central Southern England & other south-coastal areas had plenty of strong sunshine with a blustery wind; many places in the West of England & along the south coast had over 10hr of bright sunshine. Elsewhere, a lot of showers, but also sunshine, though the showers were often heavy, with hail & thunder in the east. As the showers were hastened along on a strong wind, sunshine totals were often high: for example, much of NE England, Yorkshire & the NE Midlands had over 10hr of bright sunshine, with nearly 12 hours in the Vale of York. Fine, sunny for the North Isles, but with a rather strong chilly wind. Indeed, most of the country had a brisk, gusty west or NW wind.

2007: (24th - 27th August)
FINE & DRY FOR MANY ENGLAND & WALES; WARM TOO, THOUGH COOLER WESTERN COASTS. MORE CLOUD FURTHER NORTH.
Warmest = 28.0degC (Shobdon [Herefordshire]/25th)
Sunniest = 13.2h (Lyneham [Wiltshire]/25th)

Friday: West, NW & far northern Scotland (including the Western & Northern Isles), had a day of occasional rain or drizzle, accompanied by a strong west wind. The wind touched gale-force at times in the far north. For southeastern England, including East Anglia, the last in a sequence of miserable days with persistent low cloud, morning drizzle and depressed temperatures. Afternoon maxima at some stations across East Anglia and the Home Counties were not better than 17 or 18degC. Towards evening though, the first signs of the change for the weekend, with cloud melting away from the northwest. Otherwise, for many parts of England, Wales & eastern Scotland, a fine, warm day, despite occasional cloudier infill periods: with many places experiencing strong sunshine (this includes much of eastern Scotland), temperatures responded accordingly: into the low/mid 20's degC for many, with 25degC or 26degC parts of eastern & north-east Scotland and across the NE of England and the English Midlands.
Saturday: Apart from rather large areas of low cloud & occasional coastal mist or fog, which plagued some west-facing coasts of Cornwall & SW Wales, much of England & Wales had a fine, very sunny day, after a briefly misty start. It was cloudier across North Wales & much of NW England, and in the latter region, there was some patchy drizzle late in the day. For Scotland & Northern Ireland, a rather cloudy, breezy day - some rain about (4 to 6 mm some far western & northern areas of Scotland), but also bright, or briefly sunny spells. A coolish day in the cloudier northwest, but very warm in the sunnier parts of England & east Wales: many parts of southern & central England & east Wales had 11 or more hours of bright sunshine, with afternoon maxima over large areas inland between 25 & 27degC.
Sunday: Once again, there was patchy inland mist for some southern areas of England, & at the other end of the country, a little rain in the far north at first. Otherwise, for northern areas periods of cloud but also occasional sunshine with any precipitation dying out, and turning fine & warm in sheltered eastern regions - indeed sunshine developed elsewhere during the latter part of the afternoon. For southern areas, another warm, dry & very sunny day; even the coastal low cloud and mist in the far SW was swept away as less humid air spread from the north. Temperatures generally down on those of Saturday, but still close to average in the north and generally above-average in the south. Rather breezy (again) in the north, particularly across northern Scotland & the Islands.
Monday: Light rain at first over the far north of Scotland and the Northern Isles: this moved south through the day, with sunshine returning on a brisk, rather cold wind. The thicker cloud and rain moved across other parts of Scotland, but amounts were small, and the cloud broke up for many in the east and south of Scotland. Elsewhere, another dry day, and reasonably sunny, though with large areas of cloud forming over central areas, and under this cloud, temperatures struggled. Over southern counties though, yet another warm, sunny day with reasonably light winds. During the latter part of the afternoon, skies clouded up more generally (away from the south of England), with some spots of rain for NE England. Temperatures, though close to average for late August, were down on previous days: 19 or 20degC generally for South and Eastern England, NE England / Yorkshire along with East and SE Scotland, but no better than 16 to 18degC elsewhere. A few spots along the south coast of England fared well again, with local afternoon maxima to 22degC.

2008: (22nd - 25th August)
NOT SPECTACULAR, BUT NOT A WASHOUT; RAIN ABOUT, BUT PERIODS OF SUNSHINE ON MOST DAYS. BREEZY, ESPECIALLY NORTH.
Warmest = 24.9degC (Sutton Bonington [Nottinghamshire]/25th)
Sunniest = 11.2h (St. Mawgan [Cornwall]/22nd)

Friday: A lot of cloud across central & eastern Britain, and also over the northern parts of Scotland. Showers scattered about, with periods of persistent rain, sometimes heavy, affecting eastern England, East Anglia & the far SE of England - a few thunderstorms also developed in the afternoon: Bridlington recorded 10 mm during the day, but in most eastern areas, rainfall amounts were <=5mm at any one spot. Elsewhere, a lot of fine, dry and bright weather, with lengthy spells of sunshine across the SW of England and much of S & W Wales; across the West Country, west and south Wales, sunshine amounts in the 8 to 11 hr range, and it felt warm thanks to reasonably gentle breezes. The only changes during the day were that cloud cover tended to increase generally over northern UK (including N. Ireland) and the showery rain in the east slowly faded - however, Tiree (Inner Hebrides), still managed nearly 11 hr of bright sunshine. Afternoon temperatures mostly in the 'average' category (17/18degC urban north, 20/21degC rural south, 22degC south coast), but chilly along the cloudy, often damp east coast from Yorkshire to NE Scotland - some places here no better than 14 or 15degC, so somewhat of a disappointment.
Saturday: A cold start to the day in many rural areas of Britain, with temperatures as low as 3 or 4degC inland Scotland (Loch Glascarnoch 1.8degC) & a good scattering of dawn values between 5 & 7degC across southern England. However, these low temperatures were in response to largely clear skies, so for much of the day, dry, fine weather ensued, with reasonable amounts of sunshine: for example, central & eastern England & Scotland had roughly 6 to 8 hr of bright sunshine, whilst the Northern Isles and the N & NE of Scotland (not a holiday w/e here) achieved 8 to 11 hr. Meanwhile, cloud at first-light was already affecting much of Northern Ireland, and by midday, cloudy skies dominated the weather across much of Ireland & western Britain, with rain, some heavy, across Ulster; the afternoon & early evening saw thick cloud, rain and a strong southerly wind spread further eastward, affecting all these regions by nightfall. Overall temperatures were into the 'average' category again (after the cold start noted above), with the warmest weather in the SE of England.
Sunday: Bands of rain, some heavy, crossed Britain from west-to-east overnight, clearing steadily eastwards during Sunday morning, finally leaving East Anglia & SE England around lunch-time. Mix of broken cloud with periods of sunshine followed, together with a localised scattering of showers - these latter mainly in the west. More general rain reached the Hebrides, NW mainland Scotland & parts of the Northern Ireland late afternoon, spreading further southeastwards during the evening. A gusty wind across the north and exposed / hillier NW areas, with a notably strong south-westerly in the far north/NW for a time. Temperatures around or a little above average, and feeling warm in sunnier spots of England, Wales and eastern Scotland: afternoon maxima 19-21degC through central Scotland and sheltered east & NE regions (e.g. Fife, Aberdeenshire); much of eastern England, where some lengthy spells of sunshine occurred, achieved temperatures of around 21 or 22degC.
Monday: Scotland & Northern Ireland had a cloudy, wet start to the day, with the rain accompanied over Scotland by blustery southwest winds. The rain cleared from the northwest, to be replaced by a sunny/showery mix, and a continued strong, gusty breeze. However, much of the northern half of the UK was effectively dry & fine by mid-afternoon, with a spells of sunshine, albeit fitful at times. Northern England & much of Wales started the day dry, with large amounts of cloud. Rain arrived in rather fitful bursts from late morning, but as it became even lighter & sporadic, many places remained dry. Elsewhere, after a sunny start over East Anglia & SE England, thick cloud spread across most areas for a time, only to break up again later in the day, with strong, warm sunshine for some. The far SE stayed cloudy, as did some coastal areas elsewhere, with occasional morning drizzle. Where the sun came out in eastern areas (e.g. South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, East Midlands) the afternoon became very warm & humid (23 to 25degC), albeit with a blustery wind.
[ This PH w/e is interesting, as it came as the Olympic games in China were coming to an end & our athletes flew home (on Monday). It had been the most successful Olympics for the UK/GB team since 1908, and the 'mood' across the country was generally upbeat; conversely, as the economic crisis ('Credit Crunch') bit deeper, many were feeling cast down as the money didn't go quite as far & energy prices continued to stay high. There was evidence that many stayed at home (literally) or only ventured to local events/venues - so a decent extended weekend was needed. In the event, whilst not dramatically bad, it wasn't exactly sparkling either. If it wasn't for the 'good news' from Beijing, I fancy that the moaning about the weather might have been quite intense! ]