It’s been a superb year in many respects. A proper easterly returns after a prolonged absence, real snow in late winter/ early spring. A warm and sunny late spring and now a fantastic start to summer.

The weather this week is definitely ‘Goldilocks’ stuff. With low humidity too it’s pleasant to be out in it.

My money’s on a brief breakdown which will help green things up and then a rerun with a hot end to August. 

I saw on another thread the AMO has switched negative... so to me all eyes on next winter...

Scores on the doors so far in my E&W summer index:

May 139.62 (average 110, for context average for July is 138.9). Higher than any month last year.

June, if we end at 16.0C for E&W, 16mm rain, 220hrs sun (latter is a pure guess), would be 154. First >150 reading since July 2014.

May-June average score would be highest in the series which starts in 1971 (beating 1976 and 1989)

This summer is turning out to be fabulous and could be the best one since 2003 at least. Ok its not had the prolonged searing temperatures of `76 except for this week (sort of) but in terms of warmth and sunshine totals for both May and June we really couldn`t wish for better in the uk.

The severe lack of rainfall is becoming a big problem as shown by the wildfire on Saddleworth Moor,imby the New Forest is tinder dry and I for one would now welcome a wet unsettled week before the next hot spell. Could this year be the year we finally get a decent August or will summer be wahed away by mid July as in previous years.

 Regarding the fire risk on the New Forest and other southern heaths , i am surprised there has not been an incident already and with the wind expected to get up more tomorrow it will be very high risk. I can remember when Ringwood Forest was ablaze in 1976 as we could watch the glow from our place 6 miles north.

The South isn’t that dry, relatively although some heathland areas are getting there. If you click on the left menu in the link and zoom in you can see regional soil moisture and soil moisture anomalies (caveat that limestone soils always show up as wetter than impermeable granite and metamorphic rocks because lower soil / upper bedrock can hold water).

The South is drying out but the NW and West are particularly dry.

http://edo.jrc.ec.europa.eu/edov2/php/index.php?id=1111

Even after 2 weeks of no rain most of France remains drenched. But look at the Nordics and Baltic states...

Living in Scotland I don’t normally water the garden but I may make an exception this summer to stop plants and grass dying off.

Certainly since first buying a house in 2008 i don't remember having such a battle to keep the garden alive. Using loads of water to ensure the plants survival , even so some are dying.

The grass is unusually brown for here. 25mm since the start of May and no rain in sight. 

Heres one reason why (and also a reason parts of the South and Midlands are still quite green):

I always recall this description of anticyclonic June weather in "Climate and the British Scene" by Gordon Manley:

"The sky above is a clear blue; many hours of bright sunshine are recorded, and indeed an anticyclonic spell in June can scarcely be matched for sheer enjoyment in any other climate in the world."

Sums this spell up perfectly.

Totally agree.

One marked aspect of this current hot spell has been the low dew points. Combined with strong sunshine and clear blue skies this makes it about a perfect spell of summer weather as can be found anywhere else in the world. Combined with the beautiful British countryside it makes for a memorable experience. Similar weather was experienced in June 2003. There is of course June 1976 but I found the last week of June that year simply too hot. Mid to upper 20s are fine but once over 30C it just gets too hot!

I’m loving this weather!  I think in the past two months we’ve already had as many days exceeding 20c as we’d get in an average summer!  

I almost agree, but evidently Manley didn't suffer from hay fever.

Bad news, a fire has broken out near Winter Hill

I could see it on my drive home - enormous volumes of smoke, thankfully missing MBY.

Were these fires a problem in the great summers of the past? 

I guess we don’t have many to go on. 1995 and 1976 the obvious ones for this region.

Springs 2003 and 2008

End of May 2008 and Good Friday 2003. I remember how smoky it was Good Friday here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sajxT3LWb4Y

Manley was spot on. there are very few places in the world that I'd want to be, when the weather is so nice in Britain!

Living in west Cornwall the sight yesterday of yellow grasses merged into a thousand shades of green with every wild flower you can think of in the fields and hedgerows. This overlooking a bright yellow/white beach with a still azure blue sea under a beautiful corn flower blue clear sky.... Can't beat it!!

MetO contingency plans show Jul-Sep with 40% chance of temps falling in their highest category (and 10% for the lowest, so not nailed on). Precipitation less certain but indications for below average rainfall.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/services/public-sector/contingency-planners

This morning I’m officially moving SE London on to Grasscon 3, after 3 weeks at 2 and 2.5.

3 = all cut grass yellow, uncut grass remains green as do some shady patches under trees.

The green bits you can see are weeds and clover.

The weird exception, as always, is hilly fields park which remains lush green as it did in 2003, 2006 and (almost) 2013.

 Grasscon 3, love it!

It looks so stressed that it turned 90 degrees