Do the max/min series go back as far as the main CET? I'm surprised not to see any dates before 1888 in the minimum series, given that the CET goes back to the 1600s, so assume that that's only for mean temperatures?

Darren - no the max and min series only go back to 1878

List below of the coldest last 9 days of July on record for the mean CET series - July 2015 comes in at number 7. Coldest end to July since 1920. This data goes back to 1772.

1845  12.69C
1841  13.18C
1867  13.18C
1812  13.20C
1816  13.24C
1920  13.31C
2015  13.54C

The maximum CET of only 15.5C on 24 July 2015 just makes it into the coldest 100 July daily maximums on record since 1878.

That maximum on the 24th was 9.1C below the mean on the 1st and 17.2C below the maximum on the 1st

Finished unusually far above the CET mean here, at 16.69*C.

Reflects the NW/SE divide that dominated much of the month.

Rainfall finished at 74.6 mm which is 184.2% of the LTA (and about 2/3 of that fell across two days... on one of those days in the space of a few hours!).

Sunshine just about escaped the sub-200 hour 'class of shame', with the final 203.2 hour figure 20 hours short of the LTA.

July 2015 goes down in history as the month that caused me to finally lose all faith in current attempts at long range forecasting for the UK.

Here are the charts for July

Here is an interesting blog post from the Met Office on the 1 July heat

http://blog.metoffice.gov.uk/2015/07/07/on-the-record-observing-a-heatwave/

They have now published a more detailed post here which also includes some interesting historical perspectives

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/interesting/july2015

One point worth noting is that the temperature of 32.5C recorded at Heathrow at 0900z on 1 July is now the highest UK night-time (21z to 09z) maximum temperature on record. This means the highest night-time temperature is now only 6C lower than the highest UK day-time (09z to 21Z) maximum temperature of 38.5C!!

Final official July CET from Hadley is 15.91C

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/cet_mean_2015

So everyone was too high in the CET competition although lanky was the closest with 16.00C (along with Deep Powder although he gets less credit as his prediction was posted late after the initial heatwave started to abate).

I caught a lucky break I think. I had to put my best guess in on 16th June due to holidays and well before the mini heat wave started. At that time a cool July looked on the cards more so than at the end of June

Here are the charts for July

 

Thanks GW!

Those graph's are pretty shocking!

Is it OK if I use one of these at the start of my August month ahead forecast video tomorrow?

 

Thanks GW!

Those graph's are pretty shocking!

Is it OK if I use one of these at the start of my August month ahead forecast video tomorrow?

Yes absolutely fine Gavin. I am happy for you to use the charts whenever you want. No need to ask.

 

Yes absolutely fine Gavin. I am happy for you to use the charts whenever you want. No need to ask.

That's very kind.

Thanks my friend.

Some great facts and figures from you once again GW. Many thanks! 

Another month of surprises and record breakers too.  When I came back off holiday and saw how low down on the table I was with 16.5c, I thought I must have pitched way too low but it turns out I was too high.  Don't you just love the British weather!!!! 

Annual CET competition - July update

So another month rolls around and we have some very significant changes to the tables this month as most people were way out with their July predictions. But a few got very close.

As previously advertised Deep Powder missed out on taking the lead due to a large penalty for a late prediction but still ended up only 0.02C behind last month's leader Hungry Tiger.

We maintain the record of having a new leader every month this year though as lanky moves up an incredible 19 places this month after predicting exactly 16C.

There are a number of other big climbers in the top 10 this month. ARTzeman moves up 24 places into 4th and Caz moves back into the top 10 climbing 16 places.

Plenty of other big climbers elsewhere in the table as well as some big fallers. Just shows that even if you are quite a long way behind things can change very quickly even in just one month.

Thank you GW.   Duly saved... Nice to be in a different position.. Looking for similar this August  eve if it is 4th from bottom...

Thanks for the tables GW. 

Thanks GW!

Wasn't expecting to go up 13 places!

Congrats to Lanky.

Thanks GW!

Wasn't expecting to go up 13 places!

Congrats to Lanky.

Thanks Gav and thanks GW  - I have to say I was a bit gobsmacked when I saw the new league table

As they say.. one day everyone will be famous for 15 minutes

Many thanks GW and congrats to Lanky.

It's nice to be back up in the top ten but it won't last!  Once the vertigo kicks in I'll be sliding back down the table.     I was lucky to have put in my prediction very early due to holidays, so I wasn't here at the end of June to be influenced by the heat wave.

Thanks GW.

According the BBC NI just there, it was the coldest July in Norn Iron since 1993.

i can believe that. The temperature anomaly for NI was the highest in the UK at -1.3C.