************************************************************************************** MONTHLY WEATHER REPORT JULY 2000 TEXT-ONLY VERSION Hard copy versions of this report, including graphics, can be obtained from the weather station at the following address: Pitsford Hall weather station Pitsford Hall Moulton Lane Pitsford Northampton NN6 9AX Enclosing a stamped address A4 envelope. The full register can be downloaded separately to this report from this web site. If you encounter any problems in downloading data or viewing the files, please contact the station via the answerphone on 07967 438314. For official purposes, data entries should always be double checked with the station office. ************************************************************************************** Pitsford Hall Weather Station Authority: Northamptonshire Grammar School Office: Pitsford Hall Northamptonshire Grammar School Pitsford Northampton NN6 9AX Tel. 01604 880306 (Ext 314) Fax. 01604 882212 Answerphone. 07967 438314 (local forecast and readings) E-mail office@northantsweather.org.uk Web site www.northantsweather.org.uk Registered member of the Climatological Observers Link Corporate Member of the Royal Meteorological Society Station grading: A Climatological Station No: 91012 Station Manager: M J Lewis, BSc(Hons), FRGS, FRMetS Observers: Richard Carruthers Charlie Cockrell Michael Franklin Thomas Gutteridge Robert Illingworth Technician: Mrs S West Groundsman: Mr R Green Brief Climatological Summary July began with low pressure dominating the scene. Southward moving fronts brought showers, some heavy, to many parts of the county. Fortunately, the county escaped the flooding which resulted in more southern parts of the country. Some notable thunder was recorded on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and again on the 6th. Although the month began with near normal temperatures, a cooling trend was observed over the first fortnight. Around mid-month, with low pressure established to the east, the cool temperatures were pronounced with a fairly persistent north or north-easterly airflow. High pressure brought a change in the weather from the 16th onwards. Clearer skies resulted in days with some prolonged spells of sunshine. The maximum of 12.2 hours was recorded on the 18th. The strong sunshine brought with it a recovery in the temperatures with the daytime monthly maximum of 25.8C reached on the 21st. The clearer skies inevitably brought some misty early mornings with haze recorded on the 17th and 18th. Visibility, however, remained generally good. An unsettled theme marked the end of the month from the 24th onwards. Showers, some heavy, were recorded notably on the 28th and 29th. Although some significant thundery weather was reported in many other parts of the country, Northamptonshire remained relatively unscathed with fairly moderate falls. Temperatures: Mean Max: 20.2C Mean Min: 11.2C Mean Temp: 15.7C (-1.2C) Highest Max: 25.8C on 21st Lowest Max: 13.4C on 10th Highest Min: 14.2C on 27th Lowest Min: 6.2C on 11th Dew Point Temperatures Mean Dew Point (at obs): 12.8C Highest Dew Point: 20.3C on 27th Lowest Dew Point: 6.8C on 16th* Relative Humidity: Humidities observed at 0830hrs: Max: 100% on 27th Min: 60.5% on 20th Mean: 85.6% Lowest RH (hygrograph record): 34% on 18th Rainfall: Total for Month 33.2mm (70.5%) Max: 9.5mm on 10th Rain Days: 15 Wet Days: 9 Duration: 32.7hrs Rainfall acidity: Lowest pH: 5.7 on 6th Winds: Max wind speed at observation: 19 knots (22mph) on 7th, 15th Mean wind speed at observation: 5.9 knots (6.8mph) Max mean 24 hour wind speed: 12.2 mph on 14th Mean mean 24 hour wind speed: 4.1 mph Total run of the wind: 2333.2 miles Directions: north 4, northeast 9, east 6, southeast 2, south 0, southwest 2, west 1, northwest 4, calm 3, variable 0 Pressures: Max: 1026.8mb on 22nd (0000hrs) Min: 991.8mb on 9th (0600hrs) Sunshine: Total: 141.3hrs (80.0%) Most in a day: 12.2hrs on 18th No of sunless days: 6 Cloud Cover: Mean cloud cover at observation: 75% (6.0 oktas) Ground Observations: Lowest Grass Min: 3C on 12th Highest Grass Min: 13C on 4th Mean Grass Min: 9.2C Lowest Concrete Min: 6C on 12th Highest Concrete Min: 14.5C on 6th Mean Concrete Min: 11.2C Earth Temperatures: Surface (grass) mean: 16.4C max: 22.0C on 20th* min: 10.5C on 11th 5cm mean: 17.1C max: 23.0C on 21st* min: 13.5C on 12th 10cm mean: 17.2C max: 22.5C on 21st* min: 14.3C on 3rd 20cm mean: 17.8C max: 22.0C on 21st* min: 15.5C on 11th 30cm mean: 18.0C max: 21.0C on 21st* min: 16.0C on 11th,12th 40cm mean: 17.8C max: 19.5C on 21st* min: 16.4C on 12th 50cm mean: 17.8C max: 19.3C on 31st min: 16.4C on 3rd 100cm mean: 16.3C max: 17.2C on 31st min: 15.3C on 3rd Other observations: Days with fog recorded at 0830 hours: 1 Days with air frosts: 0 Days with ground frosts: 0 Duration of air frost: 0 hrs Days with snow falling: 0 Days with snow lying at observation: 0 Days with hail (<5mm) observed: 0 Days with hail (>=5mm) observed: 0 Days with thunder heard: 4 (1st,2nd,3rd,6th) Gales: 0 Evaporation (tank): 70.14mm All averages refer to the period 1961-1990, except for sunshine which covers the period 1981-1990. Some observations this month were made at 1900hrs local time. These readings are indicated thus *. United Kingdom Climatological Analysis - July 2000 The 1st dawned mainly cloudy except in S Scotland and NW England. Rain over SW England and S Ireland pushed slowly N during the day, with the cloud partially clearing in parts of S England during the evening. While most of the rain was light, there were a few heavy bursts, with a report of some 30mm in 10-15 minutes just S of Cambridge during the evening. At Dun Laoghaire the day was foggy with rain and drizzle amounting to 10mm, almost half the total fall during June. (Jersey 23C, Eskdalemuir 2C, Scilly 12mm, Aspatria 14.5h.) The 2nd started mainly cloudy in all areas, except for the extreme SE corner of England. Slow-moving fronts over N England led to flash floods with parts of N England receiving their usual July rainfall in a few hours. At Walney Island (Cumbria) 46mm fell between 0600 and 1200GMT. Thunderstorms were reported over the Midlands and in parts of NW England; a storm lasting a matter of minutes over Chester left more than 50 offices under two or three feet of water. In NE England, residents at Skinningrove (Cleveland) had to be rescued from their bedroom windows after torrential rain caused flooding. Rain and showers also fell in N Scotland and in parts of Ireland. Two thunderstorms moving very slowly north around 1600-2130GMT gave over 30mm of rain in the western half of Nottingham with flooding in places. At Weston Coyney (Stoke) 44.7mm fell from 0900-2100GMT, the wettest July day since at least 1930, while at Chaddesden (Derbyshire) 64mm fell (including a fall of 55mm in an hour). (Gravesend 24C, Redhill 7C, Buxton 59mm, Folkestone 10.6h.) Cloudy overnight conditions were accompanied by rain in parts of E and NE England, and the 3rd dawned with fog patches in parts of Cent. S England the E Midlands and E Scotland. Clear skies over W Ireland soon clouded over as light showers developed during the morning. Light rain and drizzle continued to fall over parts of N England and N Ireland until the evening, while further S over England, Wales and Ireland there were rain showers, some heavy and thundery, especially during the late afternoon and into the evening. In Leamington Spa a thunderstorm around 1300GMT gave about 25mm in 90 minutes and lightning knocked out power supplies; some roads were flooded to a depth of 15cm. Roads were also reported flooded in the Wirral during early evening after a heavy thunderstorm. At Moel-y-Crio a heavy thunderstorm resulted in a tropical downpour with 28.7 mm of rain in 35mins (a return period of once in 35 years); another 25.3mm fell by 0900GMT on the 6th, and considerable flooding occurred in Flint and Holywell - the storm was the worst at Moel-y-Crio since June 1983. Possible funnel clouds were observed at Swaffham (Norfolk) during thunderstorms in the afternoon, and people had to 'dig' the hail from their driveways near Watton. At Ipswich about 75mm reportedly fell in a very short time. (Gravesend 26C, Glenlivet 3C, Chivenor 25mm, Folkestone 13.8h.) The 4th was a cloudy day over much of England and Wales, with early fog patches in the S followed by rain or drizzle in many places. Some of the rain in S England was heavy at times, with 22mm falling in 1 hour at Chivenor and flooded roads reported from Hampshire. Near Bristol a landslide caused by rain resulted in 200 people being stranded in a railway tunnel for two hours on the Bristol-London mainline. There were some bright spells over parts of NW England and S Scotland, while rain fell in parts of N Scotland and rain showers fell over Ireland. Thunderstorms occurred over SW Ireland and parts of the S coast of England during the afternoon; storms in Sussex produced torrential rain during early evening and heavy rain affected many parts of SE and Cent. S England around this time. 22C was recorded in W Ireland. (Jersey 22C, Biggar 4C, Chivenor 27mm, Aspatria 12.4h.) The early hours of the 5th saw a continuation of heavy rainfall over parts of SE and Cent. S England and generally cloudy conditions elsewhere. Coulsdon (Surrey) recorded 37.7mm overnight (the heaviest July 24-hr fall in records back to 1980) while other known reports include 96mm at Midhurst, 47mm and 62mm at two sites in Birdham (the latter being the greatest 24-hr fall in 26 years), 62m at Cranleigh, 77.3mm at Reigate and 79.7mm at Hove. There are also reports of 69mm-77mm in the Reigate-Salfords area with one report just south of Reigate of 96mm. The rain area moved E away from SE England during the morning. Elsewhere there was morning fog around some coasts of SW England and Wales (Aberporth reporting below 100m visibility at 1200GMT); most of the British Isles except NW Scotland had a cloudy day with showers in places with thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening over SW England and over many parts of Ireland. A funnel cloud was observed just N of Belfast around 1300GMT, and there were also reports of a funnel cloud from Devon (exact location unknown). (Cardiff 22C, Lerwick 7C, Redhill 56mm, Stornoway 11.1h.) The 6th dawned with fog over parts of Wales, S Ireland and Cent S England, and rain along the E coast of England and in S Scotland; Any clear sky over Ireland soon clouded. Although most places had a mainly cloudy day, there were sunny spells over Wales and W Scotland, while during the late afternoon and evening cloud also cleared from much of E Scotland and parts of Ireland. The early rain gradually became confined to E England during the day, although in the late afternooin and evening heavy, thundery rain fell in parts of E Wales and Cent. S England in particular. A heavy thunderstorm in S. Birmingham produced torrential rain which led to some flooding of the A441 at Stirchly and King's Norton. There were reports of '2 inches in 1 hour' in Wiltshire, and thundery rain also affected the Channel Islands. At Tilehurst (Reading) 50mm fell in two hours during a thunderstorm shortly before midnight. (Northolt 24C, Lybster 6C, Glenanne 25mm, Tiree 13.1h.) A period of clear skies overnight over Scotland, Ireland and N England led to some low temperatures in places on the 7th. However, much of England and Wales remained cloudy with light drizzle in parts of S England overnight. Cloud soon spread to N parts and most areas then had a cloudy day, except for W parts of England and Wales (the clearance spreading to most of S England during the evening. Rain and drizzle affected most of N and Cent. Scotland and N Ireland during the day. (Leeds 21C, Redesdale 1C, Boscombe Down 15mm, Ronaldsway 12.7h.) A cool W, showery airflow affected most parts on the 8th, with bands of rain and showers producing some heavy falls. More general, frontal, rain spread across Ireland and into W Scotland during the afternoon and evening, later affecting Wales and W and N parts of England. It was a generally cloudy day in most areas, with the rain and low cloud leading to mist and fog in parts of Scotland. There were reports of a funnel cloud just N of Wrexham at 1310GMT. (Poole 21C, Redhill 6C, Capel Curig 14mm, Jersey 8.0h.) The 9th was a cloudy day with rain showers affecting most places, these being heavy in places (eg. Rayleigh (Essex) where an estimated 35mm fell in about 50mins ending 1750GMT). An area of more persistent and heavier rain over Scotland during the morning moved slowly S, reaching N England by midnight and introducing a more northerly flow in its wake. Winds gusted to 30 or 40kn around some S coastal districts of England and Wales during the day. (Marham 21C, Aboyne 7C, Cardinham 27mm, Falmouth 6.0h.) The 10th dawned generally cloudy, with an area of rain, heavy in places extending across N England and into N Wales. During the morning this moved steadily S, with some heavy falls in Wales, reaching S Wales and Suffolk around midday; by midnight rain was mainly confined to parts of E England from Yorkshire to Kent. To the N rain showers were accompanied by N winds gusting to 50kn in places, especially along the E coast. MSL pressure fell to 986mb along the E coast of Yorkshire before dawn, while 991.4 mbar at Wokingham at 0500 GMT was the lowest July value since 1988 (986.1mb), and the second lowest in the past 25 years. It was cool day, with the maximum of 12.9C at an unofficial station in Cheltenham being 1.3C below the previous coldest July maximum in 1988. Snow fell on Cairngorm - sufficient to make snowballs, while on Ben Macdui there were many drifts of fresh snow. (Herne Bay 20C, Loch Glascarnoch 8C, Capel Curig 46mm, Tiree 9.1h.) Light rain fell overnight in parts of Cent. S England and along the E coast of England; elsewhere there were a few light rain showers in W districts but clearing cloud in many places then led to a cool start to the 11th. It remained cool all day over the British Isles, with a N airflow producing showers in many places. Winds again gusted to 40kn along the E coast of England, although the winds died down during the evening. Over Ireland increasing cloud during the afternoon was the forerunner of evening frontal rain in W areas. (Bournemouth 18C, Drumalbin 4C, Lowestoft 19mm, Eskdalemuir 14.1h.) Overnight rain in Ireland weakened in intensity as it moved E, although some light precipitation fell in S Wales and S England during the afternoon and evening of the 12th, associated with some coastal fog. Clear skies before dawn in parts of inland England and Scotland led to a ground frost in places; the clearance migrated E to give a sunny day in some E coast areas of England, but further W cloud thickened ahead of the advancing precipitation. Another area of heavier rain reached NW Ireland during the late afternoon, and moved across W Scotland and into Wales by midnight, with only small falls in N England. In many places across England the mean maximum temperature during the first 12 days of the month was some 4C below average. (Herne Bay 20C, Tulloch Bridge 1C, Port Glenone 2mm, Skegness 11.9h.) The 13th dawned cloudy; overnight light rain and drizzle had spread across most of England and N Scotland, finally clearing SE England by midday. In the following cloudy, NW airstream there were a few showers over Scotland and W parts of Britain, while another area of organised rain pushed SE across S Ireland during the afternoon, later clearing SW England in the evening. (Southsea 23C, Lerwick 9C, Trawscoed 8mm, Tenby 7.9h.) After a mainly cloudy night the 14th was a mainly cloudy day with sunny spells in a few places. Rain showers affected most areas of the country, although rainfall amounts were generally small; however showers at Copley did result in 14mm of rain. During the afternoon an area of frontal drizzle and rain affected the S half of Ireland, with drizzle reaching Cornwall by midnight. (Bournemouth, Gogerbank 19C, Lybster 7C, Loch Glascarnoch 7mm, Jersey 7.7h.) With pressure rising slowly, cloud cleared from a large swath of Ireland , SW Scotland, Wales and W England brfore dawn on the 15th, although light rain and drizzle continued to affect SW Ireland and Cornwall until midday in places. Cloud persisted over E coast of England for most of the day, with some light rain in places and a N wind gusting to 30kn along the coast. After some early light rain in E Scotland, much of Scotland and the the W half of the British Isles had a sunny day. During the evening the aurora was seen as far S as Wokingham. In Stoke just 26.1h of sunshine was recorded during the first 15 days of July. (Torquay 22C, Benson 4C, Topcliffe 7mm, Southport 13.9h.) Despite high pressure (over 1020mb except in the extreme SE of England by 0600GMT) the 16th started off mainly cloudy except over W Scotland. The cloudy largely dissipated during the morning except in E England, where some places remained generally cloudy and cool all day, and in W Ireland where light drizzle fell at times during the day. The bulk of the British Isles then had a sunny day. (Glasgow 23C, Loch Glascarnoch 2C, Hemsby 3mm, Tiree 13.2h.) Clear skies everywhere except alomg the E coast of England and in W Ireland led to some fog patches by dawn on the 17th in S Ireland, W Wales, Cent. Scotland and S England. Fog at Gatwick caused two diversions and some delays. Minimum temperatures were also quite low for the time of year, with an air frost at Aboyne, while at Stratfield Mortimer (Berkshire) 4.7C was the lowest recorded in July in the Mortimer area since 1973. Patchy cloud cover allowed sunny spells in most areas during the day, with the precipitation over W Ireland finally clearing by midday as pressure rose; the MSL pressure at Belmullet reached 1023.0mb at 2100GMT. N Scotland turned cloudy during the afternoon with some light drizzle before midnight. (Bristol 24C, Aboyne -1.2C, Hemsby 2mm, Ronaldsway 15.7h.) Apart from cloud over Scotland and N England, with overnight drizzle in Aberdeen, the 18th dawned almost cloudless everywhere. Fog and low cloud developed over Ireland around dawn although the fog generally dispersed quickly except in some S and E coastal areas, the low cloud remained in many areas. Most of the Britain had a sunny day, except for Scotland and E coast districts of England; some light rain or drizzle fell in parts of N Scotland. (Northolt, Southampton 25C, Sennybridge 4C, Milford Haven 0.8mm, Valley 15.4h) Cloud that remained for much of the day over Scotland and Northern Ireland on the 19th was associated with light rain and drizzle over the Northern and Western Isles. Elsewhere cloud amounts were patchy and variable, tending to develop during the morning and diminish in the evening away from the coasts, as most of the British Isles experienced a day of warm weather. A few fog patches were reported around the coasts of S Wales and SW England during the day. (Poole 27C, Pembrey Sands 6C, Kirkwall 2mm, Isle of Wight 14.7h.) With high pressure continuing to dominate, the 20th was a dry day almost everywhere. MSL pressure rose during the day, reaching 1027.9mb at Malin Head at midnight. There was some overnight cloud with light precipitation in the Northern Isles and in NW Ireland, while fog occurred around dawn in parts of S Ireland and SW England. However, cloud and fog soon cleared (except in the Northern Isles where drizzle occurred during the day) and most areas had a sunny day; winds veered to a more NE or E direction as the centre of the anticyclone migrated to Northern Ireland during the day. resulting in cooler conditions along the E coast than inland. (London 26C, Redhill 7C, Lerwick 0.8mm, Scarborough 14.2h.) Apart from drizzle in the Northern Isles and patchy cloudy over parts of N Scotland, the 21st dawned almost cloudless, but with fog patches in some E parts of England and Scotland. Cloud amounts remained generally low, although later in the afternoon cloud spread W over East Anglia and E England. It did remain cloudy in N Scotland with further light precipitation over the Northern Isles despite the continuing anticyclone with MSL pressure close to 1029mb over N Scotland during the afternoon, reaching 1029.7mb at Aberdeen at 2100GMT. (Barbourne 28C, Kinbrace 5C, Lerwick 0.2mm, Cleethorpes 16.2h.) As the centre of the anticylone moved N on the 22nd, the E airflow became more pronunced over most of the British Isles; overnight low cloud spread W to cover most of E Scotland, E England, the Midlands and Cent. S England by dawn. The cloud retreated E a little during the day, remaining thick enough to produce light precipitation in NE England, before again spreading W during the evening. The best of the warmth and sunshine was, consequently, to be found in the W half of the British Isles. (Llanbedr 27C, Altnaharra 4C, Castlederg 0.5mm, Tiree 15.7h.) Much of E England, E Scotland and parts of E Ireland were affected by low cloud on the 23rd for most of the day, with light precipitation during the morning in many places. The persistence of this cloud was aided by the continuing E wind, while in N Scotland low cloud, drizzle and early fog was caused by a weak front. W districts were, again, the sunniest and warmest places. Thunderstorms moved N to affect the Channel Islands in the evening. (Keswick 25C, Shap Fell 7C, Wattisham 0.8mm, Anglesey 14.7h.) Cloud again spread W overnight to cover much of E England and E Scotland by dawn on the 24th, with mist and light precipitation in places. Overnight rain continued in the Channel Islands until midday. Cloud continued to extend W during the morning and most of the British Isles, except for a few W coastal districts in both Britain and Ireland, had a rather cloudy and dull day. Temperatures in parts of E England failed to reach 15C, and light drizzle continued to fall in parts of NE England, N and E Scotland for much of the day. (Castlederg 23C, West Freugh 7C, Jersey 41mm, Saunton Sands 11.2h.) The 25th was another cloudy day over most of the British Isles. There was some light rain and drizzle early in the morning over parts of England, especially in the NE, and over S Scotland. More persistent rain and drizzle occurred for much of the day over NE Scotland with fog for much of the day around the Northern Isles. (Torquay 25C, Bingley 7C, Lossiemouth 4mm, Tiree 8.3h.) The 26th dawned generally cloudy, with fog patches around the Northern Isles that persisted until mid-morning in places. There was scattered rain and drizzle during the morning over parts of W and N Scotland, Ireland, N Wales and N England. Cloud cleared partially during the morning and early afternoon over parts of S England and Wales before further rain affected parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and N England during the afternoon and evening. (Cardiff 24C, Topcliffe 7C, Shawbury 6mm, Weymouth 13.4h.) After early overnight fog in parts of N Scotland, the 27th was an unsettled day. There were bands of showers and thunderstorms, moving roughly NE, that affected many parts of England and Wales, particularly SW England, S Wales, parts of SE England and East Anglia, NE England, and W Ireland, at various times during the day. Known, heavy falls include 27mm at Shannon between 0600 and 1800GMT, while there was some flooding in Wigan after an evening thunderstorm. Torrential rain in Edinburgh for less than an hour caused chaos in the city, turning roads into rivers, as the drainage systems failed to cope. (Heathrow 25C, Glenlivet and Aberdeen 6C, St Mary's 35mm, Leuchars 12.5h.) Low pressure over the British Isles on the 28th led to an unsettled day everywhere. There was some overnight fog in NE and Cent. Scotland and in Yorkshire with early showers in parts of the SW. Convective cloud developed over most of England, Wales and Ireland during the morning, later spreading to Scotland, and heavy showers were widespread for the remainder of the day. Thunderstorms were reported from SE and Cent. S England, northwards to the Inverness area, and in parts of E Ireland, from late morning onwards. Some of these showers were heavy with downpours causing localised, temporary flooding. At Knaphill (Surrey) 45mm fell in about one hour, with 33mm in N Guildford, during one thunderstorm. Fog and drizzle continued to affect the Northern Isles for most of the day. (Shobden 25C, Redesdale 8C, Exmouth 43mm, Isle of Wight 13.2h.) The 29th was again an unsettled day with thunderstorms affecting England and Wales (except for SW districts) and parts of S Scotland. In Scotland overnight fog and drizzle spread to many E and Cent. parts; this persisted until midday after which it was generally dry but cloudy. Over Ireland there were showers and sunny spells once early fog had cleared. It was reported that water was being shipped to the island of Tiree following a shortfall in precipitation during the past 13 weeks. The neighbouring island of Coll has also been without significant rain for three months and is suffering its worst water shortage for 20 years. Those without mains water supply who rely on local wells and streams are being forced to travel to the island's main village - or travel for three hours on the ferry to Oban to stock up with water. As a precaution, a water tanker has started a regular delivery of 36,000 litres to top up dwindling water supplies. (Northolt 25C, Redesdale 9C, Lough Fea 19mm, Littlehampton 12.4h.) Slack pressure gradient meant light winds overnight with fog forming before dawn on the 30th over parts of Ireland, Cent. and S Scotland and NE England. Rain and showers fell during the day across S and E Ireland, N Wales and parts of NE England and E Scotland. Elsewhere, it was generally dry but with increasing cloud amounts. (Poole 26C, Shobden 8C, Lough Fea 19mm, Jersey 13.7h.) After a mild night in most areas, the 31st saw an area of heavy rain move NE across Ireland, Wales into N England and Scotland, with falls also in the Midlands and Lincolnshire. During the afternoon and evening a following line of frontal rain crossed slowly from Ireland through Wales and SW England, into the Midlands and NE England, gradually weakening; thunder was reported from Wigan early in the evening. SE England had a dry and bright day, with sunny spells in the Channel Islands. Over Ireland there were showers of rain as the main rainbands cleared, with thunderstorms over N Ireland and W Scotland during the evening. (Jersey 27C, Tulloch Bridge 7C, Valley 35mm, Jersey 13.2h.) Information contained in the Climatological Summary supplied courtesy of Roger Brugge, Climatological Observers Link. Notable Weather Events in Northamptonshire The following report is taken from the weather station's web site 1-3 July A thundery start to July. Intermittent moderate and heavy showers associated with southward moving fronts. Notable fall of 5.9mm over 2.3 hours on 3rd. 28-29 July Heavy and thundery showers reported across much of the county. On 28th reports of a house being struck by lightning in Irthlingborough. Reports from Other Stations Reports received from Pitsford Hall weather station's network of weather enthusiasts across Northamptonshire. The weather station is not responsible for any inaccuracy contained in these reports. They are supplied for interest only. From Jeremy Borrett, Wilby: WILBY'S JULY 2000 MONTHLY WEATHER REPORT ======================================== Report from 2nd July 2000 to 14th July 2000 and 22nd July 2000 to 31st July 2000. Wind direction -------------- North: 0 days South: 1 day East: 1 day West: 10 days North-west: 0 days North-east: 0 days South-west: 4 days South-east: 3 days Variable: 0 days Calm winds: 4 days Total: 22 days Wind speed ---------- Average wind speed (mph): 2mph Highest wind speed (mph): 12mph (31st) Temperature ----------- Average temperature: 17.6°C Highest temperature: 23.9°C (19th) Lowest temperature: 8.7°C (7th) Rainfall -------- Total rainfall (mm): 41½mm Highest rainfall (mm): 18mm (6th) Air pressure ------------ Average air pressure: 1014mb Highest air pressure: 1025mb (22nd) Lowest air pressure: 995mb (10th) Appendix Weather Station Inventory (including equipment in active use as of 3 August 2000) Rooftop Enclosure and Office Standard Stevenson screen containing Mahogany mounted maximum and minimum thermometers (Casella type) Large pattern Stevenson screen containing Sheathed pattern maximum and minimum thermometers (UK Met Office with calibration certificates) Sheathed pattern wet and dry bulb thermometers (UK Met Office with calibration certificates) Thermograph (UK Met Office) Hair Hygrograph (UK Met Office) Campbell-Stokes Sunshine Recorder (UK Met Office MKII) - summer months (repositioned during the winter) Snowdon-type pattern raingauge (UK Met Office) British Association pattern raingauge (for recording rainfall acidity) Tilting syphon rainfall recorder (UK Met Office MKI) Wind vane (UK Met Office) Totalising Cup-Counter Anemometer (UK Met Office, mounted on 5m mast) Digital wind direction system (Digitar, for determination of maximum gust) Fortin-pattern mercury barometer Open-scale micro-barograph (UK Met Office) High resolution digital pH meter (Hanna) Three networked PCs with modem links and dedicated fax/phone line Agromet Enclosure Soil thermometers (5cm, 10cm, 20cm, 30cm, 40cm, 50cm, 100cm - all beneath grass) (Negretti and Zambra) Grass and concrete minimum thermometers (UK Met Office with calibration certificates) Hook Evaporimeter (Negretti and Zambra, used periodically) Surface (grass) thermometer (Negretti and Zambra) Bare Patch and Concrete Slab Climatological Enclosure Standard Stevenson screen containing Sheathed maximum and minimum thermometers Sheathed ordinary thermometers (constituting wet and dry bulb hygrometer) Standard Met Office raingauge Bare Patch and soil thermometers (5cm,10cm,20cm,30cm - angle type exposed over bare soil) Grass minimum thermometer South Boundary Enclosure This enclosure is used between September and March only for the recording of winter sunshine using the Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder normally located at the rooftop site. Archive Weather records from 1880 to the present from a wide variety of locations throughout Northamptonshire are held in the archive adjacent to the station office. Access to these records is by appointment only through the station office Monday to Friday, 8.40am to 5.20pm. The station also holds corporate access rights to additional records held by the Northamptonshire Natural History Society, The Humfrey Rooms, Castillian Terrace, Northampton.