Thanks GW for running this excellent competition. I echo everything that those have said above.

I'm not sure how easy it is to extract, but do you know whether there is an overall long term bias for underestimating or overestimating the temps? Personally I think I tend to underestimate more than overestimate but that is probably down to hope than anything else.

Thanks again GW

Thanks everyone

Met Office confirms that for the UK as a whole September 2016 was equal second warmest since 1910

Monthly assessment

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2016/9/2016_9_MaxTemp_Anomaly_1981-2010.gif

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2016/9/2016_9_MinTemp_Anomaly_1981-2010.gif

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2016/9/2016_9_MeanTemp_Anomaly_1981-2010.gif

Shows how the east coast had a stonking September.  I note on the anomaly map (not posted) that Aberdeen was well in excess of its average...

Shows how the east coast had a stonking September.  I note on the anomaly map (not posted) that Aberdeen was well in excess of its average...

Think my mean came in at 17.1C.