Very Warm and Dry

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during July 2018 in Shoreham was 25.8 Celsius (79F), and that was more than 5 degrees Celsius (9F) above normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 15.5 Celsius (60F), and that was  over 1 degree Celsius (2F) above  the July normal. The month was comparable with July 2006 and warmer than the more frequently mentioned July of 1976.  

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 32.2 Celsius (90F) on the 1st. Although there were no more days with maxima above 30 Celsius (86F), there were a further 5 days with highs above 29 Celsius (84F), including maxima of 29.9 Celsius (86F) on both the 8th and 26th. There were several somewhat cooler days, and on 9 occasions maximum temperatures were between 22 and 24 Celsius (72-75F). However, these values were still above the long-term average. Only 3 days had highs below 22 Celsius (72F), and on 2 of these days the temperature exceeded 21 Celsius (70F). The coolest day of the month was the 29th when the temperature struggled to reach a more temperate 19.3 Celsius (67F).

Many nights had clear skies and light winds, and this allowed  temperatures to fall steadily. However, there were some warm nights, and on 4 occasions the temperature remained above 18 Celsius (64F). The warmest night was the 1st/2nd with a low of 18.3 Celsius (65F).  There were a further 14 nights when the temperature stayed above 15 Celsius (59F), and between the 20th and the end of the month there were 12 consecutive days with minima above 15 Celsius (59F). The coolest nights were around the middle of the month and on 4 nights the temperature dipped below 13 Celsius (55F). However, only 1 of these cooler nights had a minimum below 12 Celsius (54F). On the night of the 11th/12th the temperature fell to 11.7 Celsius (53F). 

The sea temperature rose from around 19 Celsius (66F) at the beginning of the month, to 20 or 21 Celsius (68-70F), and briefly touched 22 Celsius (72F) before falling away to 19 Celsius (66F) during the last few days of July.

Frost

There were no frosts during July. The lowest grass temperature was 9.4 Celsius (49F) on the nights of the 11th/12th and 16th/17th.   

Rain

There were 31.8  millimetres (1.25 ins.) of rain during July and that was just over 50% of the monthly average. It was the driest July for 5 years. There were only 4 days of measurable rain, and that was 7 below the July normal. There were a few spots of rain early on the afternoon of the 20th, but too few to measure. However, it was the first rain of the month. The first measurable rain fell on the evening of the 27th bringing to an end the drought which had lasted a total of 40 days. Only 2.4 millimetres (0.1 ins.) fell, but another 6.6 millimetres (0.26 ins.) fell on the following day. On the 29th, rain and drizzle, heavy at times, fell through much of the day, and the daily total of 18.2 millimetres (0.7 ins.) made it the wettest day of the year so far.  It  also made Shoreham the wettest place in England on that particular day. Another 4.6 millimetres (0.2 ins.) was attributed to the 30th, with the last day of the month becoming dry again.

Hail

There was no hail observed in this part of Shoreham during July.

Thunder

There were thunderstorms mid afternoon on the 27th and again early in the evening. The storms were fairly weak in Shoreham, with most of the activity occurring to the west and north.

Wind

The winds during early July were often light from between north and east. Otherwise, the breeze was frequently variable during the mornings. but with gentle, occasionally moderate, southwesterly sea breezes during the afternoons. The exceptions to these benign winds occurred on the 2nd, when a fresh northeasterly blew for much of the day, and the 28th and 29th when the southwesterly wind was fresh or strong at times.  At Shoreham Airport, gusts of 38 knots (41 mph) were recorded on the morning of the 28th and the afternoon of the 29th.     

Fog

No fog was observed in central Shoreham.

Statistics for July 2018