The first 18 days of July were largely dry and often very warm, the exception being the 11th going into the 12th. On the morning of the 12th, we recorded 29.5 mm of rain, the wettest 24 hours of the month. After the 18th, the weather tended to be cooler, windier, and wetter, and altogether July produced a respectable 71 mm. The hottest days were the 6th, 8th, and 9th, with 27°C, while the coldest daytime maximum was 16°C on the 24th.

Rainfall for June was a moderate 53.7 mm, but 19 mm of this fell on the 6th, and 20mm on the 28th, leaving a paltry 14.7 mm for the rest of the month. Temperatures were generally very warm, reaching 30⁰ C on the 21st with 19 days during the month having a maximum daytime temperature of 20⁰ C or more. The coldest day was the 6th, with a maximum temperature of 15⁰ C. There were fresh-to-strong winds between the 5th and the 8th, with many green leaves being stripped from the trees, and small and medium sized dead branches coming down in the woodland on the 6th, when force 7 gusts were felt for much of the day. Perhaps the magpies knew what they were doing last December 13th, when they started building their nest in a low hawthorn instead of at the top of a tall oak tree.

During May we recorded 60.5 mm of rain, the wettest month of the year so far, but insufficient to restore ponds to an appropriate level for the time of year. Only two mornings showed a significant amount or rainfall, these being 20 mm on the 18th, and 21.3 mm on the 19th. There was a generally cool start to much of the first half of the month, and an encouragingly warm spell throughout much of the second half.  Thus, the coldest daily maximum temperature of 10⁰ C occurred on the 7th, while the warmest was 26⁰ C on the 24th. An overnight frost between the 9th and 10th set back our potato crop mentioned last month for a second time, but signs are that they have now recovered and their leaves are looking healthy once more.

For a month famous for April showers, an amazingly low 5 mm was recorded here. Only 7 days produced any measurable rain, with 1.6 mm falling during the 24 hours ending on the morning of 27th April. Increasing evaporation and transpiration at this time of year has left pond levels even lower than they were last month. Maximum daytime temperatures ranged from a very warm 22⁰ C on the 9th to a raw 10⁰ C on the 26th. There were dense fogs on the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th; a strong wind-chill on the 17th and 18th, and sharp overnight frosts on the 19th and 27th, the former of which appears to have wiped out much of our Victoria plum crop for the year, and the latter to have set back our potato crop! 

February’s rainfall was a moderate 47 mm, but this still left our ponds about 30 cm below normal levels for the end of the month. Our maximum daily recording over a 24-hour period produced 10 mm on the morning of the 28th. Maximum daily temperatures ranged between 2⁰ C on the 11th, and 15⁰ C on the 20th. A cold snap from the 8th to 13th produced light snow-flurries on the 11th, and saw the return of the solitary fieldfare to our garden for its helping of apple chunks, but it quickly moved on. There were fresh to strong winds from the 22nd to 27th around Storm Doris on the 23rd.