MET Office notes wetter than average summer due to August rain

The meteorological summer of 2024 has come to an end, with the Meteorological Office recording a wetter than average summer due to a rainy August.

According to the MET Office, the rainfall recorded on 22 August alone, totaling 13.2mm, marked the month as wetter than average. August 2024 experienced 3.5mm more rain than usual, and combined with rainfall from June, the total for the summer reached 17mm—exceeding the climatic norm by 1.4mm.

Despite the overall dry season, June recorded 3.8mm of rain, easing the seasonal drought slightly. Only one heatwave occurred between June and July, with temperatures surpassing 35°C. This year's heatwave was brief compared to July 2023, which saw a heatwave lasting over ten days.

Temperatures throughout the summer months were consistently warmer than usual, with June, July, and August all averaging 1.6°C higher than the climatic norm. Average temperatures stood at 25.8°C in June, 28.5°C in July, and 29.1°C in August.

The warmer conditions also extended to the sea, with the sea surface temperature in June measuring 23.7°C (compared to the 22°C norm). By July, sea temperatures reached 26.9°C (norm 25.2°C), and in August, they rose to 28.9°C, significantly above the norm of 26.7°C.

The highest temperature in August was during the thirs day of the month, when the mercury hit 37°C, while the lowest temperature, 23.3°C, was observed on 7 August. Towards the end of August, a thunderstorm was also experienced, and throughout the month, wind speeds averaged 6.3 knots. The strongest gust was recorded on 20 August, reaching 27 knots from the West by North.

In terms of sunshine, 1 August was the brightest day, offering 12.7 hours of sunlight, while 5 August was the dullest, with just six hours of sunshine.

As summer drew to a close, the season was defined by both intense heat and unexpected rainfall, with August’s showers marking the beginning of the transition into autumn.