September often shines, now enjoy last precious rays
IF NOT a new name, then perhaps a rebrand is due. For increasingly it feels as if September is a more reliable indicator of decent weather than August.
Indeed this September has just been confirmed as the second warmest on record for the UK.
As for August 2021, well, do I really need to remind you? While it was nicer up north than in the washed-out south – overall it was a dismal affair.
Indeed September’s mean temperature of 14.7C (58.4F) for the UK was quite close to the 15C recorded in August. According to the Met Office, this significantly warmer than average September was actually only slightly cooler than an average August.
September 2006 still remains the warmest on record, but increasingly on any given year we can expect a prolonged good spell. Last year, for example, was the first September in nearly half a decade that temperatures reached 30C (86F). Rainfall in that year was also well below average with only parts of Western Scotland and East Anglia getting proper downpours.
Perhaps climate change is accelerating this trend, but in many ways this is nothing new. August, despite its bucket and spade reputation, has always been particularly unreliable and is on average the rainiest month of summer.
The phrase “Indian Summer” appeared in the first Met Office Meteorological Glossary published in 1916, describing “a warm, calm spell of weather occurring in autumn, especially in October and November”.
And on into October this glorious weather goes. Today autumn mists will lift across central England for another day of sunshine. Sunday, too, will be mainly fine and dry bar a few outbreaks of patchy drizzle.
Into next week temperatures are dropping, but dominating high pressure will ensure there is still plenty of sunshine around. For the many this year who felt they missed out on summer altogether, here is a chance to soak up some precious last rays.