June saw the rain return. In many ways it was a mixed bag - frequent spells of rain or showers, some very warm and sunny days along with a number of cooler days, especially in the first half of the month.

  The month saw the very sunny and warm weather of late May continue into the start of June, breaking down through to the 10th as a cool northerly type became established, this bringing showers and/or spells of rain. There was a spell of warm, humid, showery weather 13-18th with a couple of thunderstorms then after a brief cooler interlude there was a hot, sunny spell from the 23rd to 26th. The last few days were cloudy and windy with showers and longer spells of rain, that rain being especially persistent and heavy within the LDNP.

  Whilst overall the first half of the month was coolish, the second half saw the temperatures pick up, but rainfall was fairly consistent through the month with blocks of 4-5 days having rain and then only broken by one 1-2 dry days - the thunderstorm on the 16th was short and intense with 20 mm of rain falling in just 15 minutes.

  MSLP of 1012.0 Mb was -3.4 Mb below the local average for the month and overall a mean minimum of 9.52°c and a mean maximum of 18.69°c saw the temperature 0.84°c above the eleven year average for this site.

  It was the warmest since 2018 and of the twelve now recorded, nine have been colder and two have been warmer - the highest maximum temperature recorded being 27.8°c (25th), the lowest minimum 4.0°c (9th).

  Rainfall of 147.9 mm (Crosby Ravensworth School 153.3 mm - Castlehowe Scar 186.9 mm) was 175.6% of average for 2007-19 and made it the wettest June since 2017. Of the fourteen now recorded, ten have been drier and three wetter.

  During the month the following was recorded: thunder was heard on four days, with hail on one day (26th). Wind speed averaged 6.77 mph, with a maximum gust of 51 mph (28th).

  At the Met' Office site at Newton Rigg, rainfall of 126.0 mm (215%) was the wettest since 2012 and in a series back to 1900, 114 have been drier and six wetter.

  A mean temperature of 14.19°c is the warmest since 2018 and in a series back to 1952, 61 have been colder and 7 have been warmer.

  With 113.9 mm (194.7% of average) Appleby in Westmorland has had its wettest June since 2017 and its 12th wettest in a record that commenced in 1856 and at Seathwaite Farm it was the 3rd wettest in a record that commenced in 1845.

  It goes without saying that rainfall percentages across Cumbria were very high this month with few below 150%; a few sites such as Newton Rigg and Seathwaite (236.2%) being exceptionally high. The final total at Seathwaite of 418.0 mm is the only the sixth time that 400mm has been exceeded in June and it included two remarkable falls of over 100 mm on the 27-28th, a staggering 161.8 mm on the 28th following 100.8 mm 27th.

  Figures from the Environment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1961-90)   ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Environment Agency (Penrith)’:

  Kirkby Thore ** mm (42.2 mm)

  Haresceugh Castle (Kirkoswald) 109.54 mm (69.3 mm)

  Brothers Water 208.7 mm (131 mm) and

  Orton (Shallowford) 183.6 mm (86.6 mm [average for 1967-2019])

  418.0 mm at Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale - 177 mm [average for 1981-2010]).

  ** not available due to faults with the gauge

  General Synoptic Report for the Month

   The fine weather from the end of May continued into the start of the month with high pressure (HP) ridging down from Norway. This provided for a fine day on the 1st that was warm and sunny throughout and a perfect 22.5°c, but even though the 2nd was even warmer at 23.5°c, cloud bubbled up in the afternoon with the evening becoming overcast.

  The fine weather was about to break and now outbreaks of rain would become common-place. Through to the 10th temperatures would be suppressed with a northerly type becoming established, followed by a warmer spell 13-18th, falling away 19th-22nd before another warm spell saw the temperatures become very warm.

  However, heavy rain overnight into the 3rd saw 18.3 mm fall and by the 5th we'd had as much rain as in the whole of April and May combined. Low pressure (LP) would now generally dominate, with HP generally absent from the picture until late in the month.

  The 4th saw 12.5 mm of rain followed by 12.1 mm on the 5th with temperatures during the 3rd-5th no higher than 13.6°c, courtesy of winds coming from the N-NNW and which were quite brisk at times.

  The 6-8th saw temperatures range 15-16°c and it was slightly more settled with sunny intervals before rain arrived overnight into the 10th. The 10th would be a dull and overcast day and along with the 3rd and 5th was the coldest day of the month with a maximum of 13.1°c.

  From the 13th the temperatures noticeably increased day on day, rising to 24.2°c on the 15th. LP was surrounding the UK, but which sat in a slack pressure gradient with very light winds. And of course it only takes a few warm days to increase the likelihood of thunder - both the 15-16th started with a hazy sunshine and would then see cloud increasing into the afternoon with the thunderstorms following.

  Thunder rumbled from 1520 hrs on the 15th with the downpour (14.3 mm) arriving at 1750 hrs after which the evening became quite misty and sultry. The downpour on the 16th was more notable - thunder from 1320 hrs and quickly followed by a 15 minute torrent from 1340 hrs. In those 15 minutes just over 20 mm fell and had a very impressive rainfall rate of 240 mm at its peak. With further rain during the afternoon the final total was 24.3 mm for the day.

  More thunder on the 19th, but which came after a heavy belt of rain in the afternoon. Cooler 21st and 22nd, followed by a brief hot spell with HP over Germany moving in over the UK. From 21.2ۢ on the 23rd, the temperature quickly rose with 27.5°c (24th) and a month's high of 27.8°c (82°f) on the 25th, both days also enjoying copious amounts of sunshine.

  The 26th also remained above 25°c, but by now the nights were becoming a little uncomfortable, the 26th starting with a minimum of 14.0°c and the three days of 24-26th were all above 20°c by 1000 hrs, the temperature at 1000 hrs on the 25th being crazily high at 24.0°c.

  The breakdown in the weather from the 26th saw LP that had been held at bay by the HP now push in from the SW with troughs ahead of it pushing into the warm air and bringing a brief thunderstorm in the evening of the 26th and which included some hail.

  The final few days of the month whilst all remaining above 10°c by night, saw suppressed day-time temperatures, down as low as 13.7°c (28th) and which was quite stormy with outbreaks of rain. The final two days being cool and cloudy.