01/08/2006

July was hottest month on record

July 2006 was the warmest month across the UK since records began in 1914, the Met Office has reported.

The Met Office confirmed that the UK mean daily temperature for the month was 17.8C, breaking the previous record of 17.5C which was set jointly in July 1983 and August 1995.

The figures also showed that there was 263 hours of sunshine in July - over 50% above the average.

The Met Office said that many areas saw local and regional temperature records broken in July.

England experienced its hottest month on record with a mean temperature of 19.3C. July was also the sunniest month on record in England, with 300.1 hours of sunshine, beating the previous record of 284 hours in 1957.

Scotland also experienced its hottest month on record, with a mean temperature of 15.6C, while a new Welsh record for July was also established, with 34.2C measured at Penhow, near Newport, Wales.

The highest temperature for July overall was recorded at Wisley, Surrey, where the temperature reached 36.4C.

The Met Office also said that other European countries were reporting a record-breaking July. Germany recorded its hottest month since records began in 1901, while it was the hottest ever July in Denmark.

Scientists at Met Office Hadley Centre are analysing this data to assess the risk of future very hot summers as a result of climate change.

(KMcA)

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