Overall June was relatively settled and very much on average; it was a reasonable start to summer. MSLP showed an anomaly of +1.3 Mb, with the main settled spell coming in the first ten days and after a partial breakdown to a westerly cyclonic type, pressure rose once again 19-20th and 24-26th. Accordingly sunshine totals were just above average, rainfall only 56% of average, but once again and now making a run of ten successive colder than average months, June was fractionally colder than average, here at Maulds Meaburn averaging 12.83°c.

   However, day-time maximums averaging 17.72°c were very slightly above average, with low night-time minima (7.94°c) being responsible for the slightly colder than average month. One curiosity though, as the month progressed the average maximum temperature fell away, but at the same time average minimum temperatures increased, mainly due to much cloudier conditions.

   The Met' Office have kindly provided their own data for Newton Rigg (Penrith), mean maximum of 17.55°c, mean minimum of 7.96°c (month 0.24°c colder than average) and rainfall of 33.2 mm (56.6% of average) and we find that it is only the coldest June since 2012 and the driest since 1996. Since 1914 June has been colder on 41 occasions, warmer on 53, (data is unavailable for 5 of the years) and 75 have been wetter with 20 drier (data unavaiable for 4 years).

   Figures from the Enviroment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1961-90): Kirkby Thore 39.0 mm (42.2 mm) , Brothers Water 104 mm (131 mm) and Nunwick Hall 45.0 mm (55.0 mm) - ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Enviroment Agency (Penrith)’.

   Also continuing the colder theme of 2013 to date, 2nd June saw the 100th ground frost of the year recorded, by far the earliest date at this site to attain such.

   1st - 10th    The month (and summer) couldn't have started much better with high pressure (HP) dominant giving a run of dry, warm, sunny and settled weather, indeed summer was here. Initially the 'Azores High' extended a ridge over the UK and as this became more established the warmth and amount of sun became greater.

   The 1st and 2nd whilst pleasant enough were chilly overnight and both recorded ground frosts with the -1.2°c on the 2nd already the 100th ground frost of 2013. From just 15°c on the 1st we were above 20°c on the 4th and the 7th at 23.5°c (74.3°f) was the month's warmest day. As is so often the case though as the HP became dominant and the warmth grew the days became a little more hazy, this after the 1st-5th had all seen excellent visibility and were really perfect days, the 4th especially.

   But after this excellent start to summer unsettled weather returned courtesy of a series of low pressure (LP) systems from the Atlantic.

   11th - 18th    It is actually quite common for the Atlantic to 're-assert itself' come mid June and whilst rainfall totals were relatively light the days were cooler.

   After a dull day on the 11th as the frontal systems made slow progress east, the 12th saw several areas of LP to our west and the first belt of rain (5.5 mm) of the month. The days were typically showery but both the 14th and 15th saw more organised rain in the evenings with 13.7 mm making the 14th the month's wettest day.

   It also felt much fresher as the winds became brisker from the south west and temperatures for 11-16th barely reached 16°c.

   Whilst LP sat to our south west, 17-18th saw us within a slacker pressure area with HP building to our north and west. As the winds eased back the temperatures picked up and rose back above the 20°c mark and the days were also dry.

   19th - 20th    A weak ridge of the Azores High with a broad warm sector to the south pushing north, saw a few settled days with some sun and above average temperatures, with the 19th the last day in the month to attain 20°c.

   21st - 23rd    LP once again returned, initially out in the North Sea with an occluding frontal system giving light rain on the 21st, but the humidity brought a murky day.

   This first LP was then blown away by a new LP system from the Atlantic with an occluded front bringing cool and showery conditions with the temperatures now hovering just above 14°c.

   24th - 26th    HP began ridge in once again from the south west, but as before failed to become established, only giving a few settled days. But the position of the HP drew down a wind from a northerly quarter and hence the days remained cool.

   The 25-26th saw some sunny spells with average temperatures, but only after the 24th had seen the month's coldest day-time maximum of just 14.1°c.

   27th - 30th    The 27th still saw the weak ridge of HP nearby but now an Atlantic frontal system made east bringing with it rain of 6.9 mm. The month then finished rather cool and breezy at times with LP ever present as the HP was squeezed south, with the 30th especially feeling very fresh.

   Rainfall totalled 49.2 mm for the month, with rain recorded on 13 days of which 10 were 'Wet days' (1.0mm +).

   The Mean Temperature for the month was 12.83°c      --      The Mean Max' was   17.72°c     --      The Mean Min'   7.94°c.

   We had 0 Air Frosts in the month (year 68)              --      Grass frosts totalled 2 (year 100).

   The 1 foot soil temp ranged from a low of 12.2°c on the 1st         to      a high of 16.2°c on the 20th     --      with a monthly mean of 14.6°c

   The 1 meter soil temp ranged from a low of 9.6°c on the 1st      to      a high of 12.4°c on the 29th      --     with a monthly mean of 11.4°c

COMPARISONS:-

   * June 2013 rainfall was 56.3% of the June average for 2007 - 2012

   * June 2013 had exactly the same mean temperature (12.83°c) as the June average for 2009 - 2012 and was 0.17°c colder than the local long term average 1981-2010

  * The 3 month mean for April/May/June 2013 is              TEMP'     9.53°c         --          RAIN    216.2 mm


  *                     April/May/June 2012 was              TEMP'     9.37°c         --          RAIN    331.3 mm

  *                     April/May/June 2011 was              TEMP'    11.01°c         --          RAIN    222.1 mm

  *                     April/May/June 2010 was              TEMP'    10.33°c         --          RAIN     65.8 mm

  *                     April/May/June 2009 was              TEMP'    10.85°c         --          RAIN    151.2 mm

  *                     April/May/June 2008 was              TEMP'                                RAIN    170.4 mm


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                             * 2013     To Date              TEMP'     5.96°c         --          RAIN    392.9 mm

                             * 2012  Jan - June              TEMP'     7.20°c         --          RAIN    491.0 mm

                             * 2011  Jan - June              TEMP'     7.68°c         --          RAIN    599.3 mm

                             * 2010  Jan - June              TEMP'     6.28°c         --          RAIN    206.4 mm

                             * 2009  Jan - June              TEMP'     7.61°c         --          RAIN    450.5 mm

                             * 2008  Jan - June              TEMP'                    --          RAIN    621.1 mm