PITSFORD HALL WEATHER STATION
NORTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM

MONTHLY WEATHER REPORT - JUNE 2001


Monthly AssessmenT


Headline: A notably dry month with rainfall well below the 
seasonal average. Generally average temperatures; a cool start 
to the month being balanced by a marked warming trend in the 
final week. 

The month opened on a cool note with a succession of weather 
fronts tracking south-eastwards across the British Isles. Rainfall 
amounts were slight, however, across Northamptonshire. High pressure 
then re-exerted control for a few days allowing a recovery of 
temperatures from a cool maximum of 14.9C on the 2nd to a more 
respectable 20.1C on the 5th.  However, this warming trend was 
short-lived as another fairly active cold front pushed 
south-eastwards bringing a cool spell of weather until the 9th. 
The passage of the front brought some fresh breezes to the county, 
winds gusting to 34mph on the 7th and 8th.

With the exception of a small low which provided the county with a 
fair amount of rain on the 9th, high pressure re-established control 
until the 15th. Sunshine values during this period remained fairly 
modest. Fairly slack winds made for some fairly persistent cloud. 
Daytime maxima recovered consistently during this period, reaching 
a maximum of 21.5C on the 14th.

A couple of days of thundery conditions brought to the warming trend 
to a close on the 15th and 16th as a vigorous low tracked eastwards 
bringing heavy rainfall on a succession of active fronts. 7.6mm 
fell at Pitsford Hall on the 16th, representing the greatest 24 
hour fall during the month. 

From then on until the last few days of June, a prolonged dry period 
emerged with the weather very much controlled by high pressure. Apart 
from a fairly weak and southward moving cold front on the 21st which 
gave a brief cool spell of weather, temperatures gradually recovered 
reaching the mid-to-high twenties by the end of the fourth week. 
29.1C was recorded as a daytime maximum on the 26th with overnight 
temperatures not falling below a sticky 15.8C.


Finally, low pressure brought an unsettled end to the month. There 
were spells of showery rain on the 27th and 29th , but with winds 
mainly from the south or south-west and a fair amount of overnight 
cloud, temperatures remained in the mid-to-low twenties.


Climatological & Agromet Statistics

Climatological Statistics - Pitsford Hall

Air Temperatures				
The Highest Maximum: 29.1C on 26th
The Lowest Maximum: 14.9C on 2nd
The Highest Minimum: 15.8C on 27th
The Lowest Minimum: 3.6C on 3rd

The Mean Maximum: 20.1C
The Mean Minimum: 9.4C
The Overall Mean: 14.8C
Difference from the Monthly Mean: +0.2C
				
Relative Humidity:				
Highest Relative Humidity (at 0900): 95.9% on 16th
Lowest Relative Humidity (at 0900): 54.7% on 26th
Mean Relative Humidity (at 0900): 71.7%
    
Dew Point:				
The Highest Dew Point (at 0900): 16.2C on 28th
The Lowest Dew Point (at 0900): 4.1C on 3rd
The Mean Dew Point (at 0900): 10.7C
				
Rainfall:				
Total: 19.9mm
Difference from the Monthly Mean: 34.9%
Duration: 9.5hrs
Highest 24-hour fall (from 0900): 7.6mm on 16th
Rain Days (>/=0.2mm): 8
Wet Days (>/=1.0mm): 5
Lowest pH: 6.30 on 2nd
			
Sunshine:				
Total Duration of Bright Sunshine: 210.7hrs
Sunniest day: 12.8hrs on 21st
Sunless days: 0
Cloud cover (mean at 0900): 5.6 oktas (70.0%)
				
Pressure (reduced to sea level):				
The Highest Pressure: 1027.0mb on 18th
The Lowest Pressure: 1001.8mb on 16th
Mean Pressure (recorded at 0900): 1016.4mb
		
Winds:				
Run of wind (mean over 24 hrs): 86.7 miles 
Mean daily wind speed: 4.7mph
Highest 24-hour Wind Speed: 9.1mph on 29th
Run of wind (to date): 2600.9 miles
Highest Maximum Gust: 34mph on 7th
Highest wind strength (at 0900): 19.6mph on 3rd
Mean wind strength (at 0900): 7.4mph
		
Winds from the Following Directions:				
N 1, NE 2, E 2, SE 2, S 2, SW 3, W 3, NW 11, Calm 3
	
Days with:				
Thunder: 2: 15th &16th
Hail less than 0.5mm: 0
Hail greater than/equal to 0.5mm: 0   
Snow or snow & rain: 0
Snow lying: 0
Fog: 0
Air Frost: 0
Duration of Air Frost: 0 hrs
Ground Frost: 0

Evaporation: 

The recording of evaporation using the Hook-gauge evaporimeter has 
been discontinued. Year-round recordings of evaporation will 
commence in the autumn using a Piche evaporimeter.	

	
Agro-Meteorological Statistics - Pitsford Hall Agromet Site (Brixworth)
				
Ground Temperatures:			 	
Lowest Grass Minimum: 0.3C on 3rd
Mean Grass Minimum: 7.6C
Lowest Concrete Minimum: 5.2C on 3rd
Mean Concrete Minimum: 10.6C
Lowest Bare Earth Minimum: 4.4C on 3rd
Mean Bare Earth Minimum: 10.0C
				
Soil/Earth Temperatures (under grass):		 		
Surface mean: 12.9C
5cm mean: 13.4C  
10cm mean: 13.8C  
20cm mean: 15.3C  
30cm mean: 15.9C
40cm mean: 15.9C
50cm mean: 16.2C
100cm mean:  14.9C
	

				
Climatological observations made at 0900 UTC. Agro-meteorological 
observations made at 0700 UTC. Averages refer to the period 1971-2000.