Weather: Driest start to September on record

A warm and dry September Credit: Andrew Appleton

We know it has been mild, but now it is official - Provisional figures from the Met Office point towards this being one of the the warmest first half of September since reliable records began in 1960.

Our average temperature for the first 15 days of the month has been 13.9C. That's 1.3C above the full-month average.

But it is our daytime highs that have been particularly notable. The UK average of 18.4C is 1.9C above the average,

It has also been VERY dry.

The map below shows the recorded rainfall across the UK from 1-15 September- All parts have been drier than average.

The UK as a whole has seen just 7% of its usual September rainfall so far (we would normally expect 50% by now).

Map showing actual rainfall across the UK from 1-15 September Credit: Met Office

BUT even though these figures point to a pleasant September - they don’t tell us what the rest of the month will be like.

Just a few days of exceptionally wet or cold weather could change everything. We will wait and see.