June weather has been poor so far

It was a record-breaking May across the UK.

Yes, it was the warmest (although Oldham weather expert Jon Baylis prefers the word mildest) on record and this was also the case for his dataset of weather records dating back to August 2012.

Therefore, it seems to be most of the general public who do not believe the statistics for May 2024.

But what you've got to think about is why the statistics are doubted by many.

May 2024 was a cloudier month than normal, so during the daytime it didn't feel warm on most days due to the lack of sunshine.

Any kind of sunshine, regardless of temperature, in May feels warm to very warm due to the time of year.

Cloudy nights meant very mild nights and it was these mild nights that lifted the average temperature value for May 2024 into record-breaking territory.

And as you're aware, most don't notice the nighttime temperatures as they're sleeping.

Very warm sunny days can mean clear nights and night-time temperatures into single-figures in May, even with localised ground-frosts but May 2024 was cloudier and much milder overnight.

Again this is clear in the data.

The coldest night was only +7.4°C and we only had nine nights below 10°C.

The average temperature overall for May 2024 here was 14.1°C, which beats previous Mays easily.

We also had six days where the temperature was 21-24°C.

Not many remember that.

Twelve days were 19°C or above, which is above the maximum average.

We also had more dry days than wet days and apart from a very wet day (33.6mm) the other 30 days' total rainfall was below average. Hard to believe.

So what made May 2024 so disappointing and forgetful - the lack of sunshine which is noticeable by many of us more than anything else.

June is poor so far and will likely be our first below-average temperature month for a long time.

I do think some heat is coming; whether this be late on in June or early-July, remains to be seen.

Here's Jon's latest up-to-date forecast:

Today (Thursday): A chilly start.

Any early brightness fades as cloud thickens from the west and the breeze picks up.

Rain will arrive around mid-afternoon.

We'll now have a southwesterly airflow so temperatures up a little but with that rise comes moisture. 

Max 16°C Min 12°C.

Friday: Sunny spells and showers.

The showers most frequent into the afternoon, and some heavy with hail and thunder. 

Max 17°C Min 11°C.

Weekend: Low pressure firmly in charge.

Saturday: A day of bright spells to start with hefty thundery showers brewing.

Catch one and it will be a downpour.

Lighter winds and in any sunshine it will feel pleasant and warm.

UV levels are high as always at this time of the year. 

Max 17°C Min 11°C.

Sunday: The low pressure drifts a little further north so it's a bit breezy, especially later.

Otherwise, rinse and repeat.

Bright spells and beefy showers.

Risk of hail and thunder. 

Max 17°C Min 10°C.

Outlook: Low pressure(s) close by.

The warm bright spells and showery theme will continue.

Temperatures around average, 17-19°C.

If you see "heatwave on the way" in the media, ignore.

We remain in the cooler-than-average air next week.

Only the last week of June could see us return close to 20°C.

Follow @ChadWeather on X for the latest forecasts and warnings.

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