A Gardener's Weather Diary: Hottest July I've Recorded

Thursday, 2 August 2018

Hottest July I've Recorded

This July finished up the hottest I've recorded since 2010.

Average July Temperatures 2010-2018

It's certainly continued the brilliant summer weather which started in May and has continued through June and July. As far as my records go May, June and now July have all recorded the highest temperatures of the last nine years, resulting in some gorgeous summer weather.

RSPB Bempton Cliffs

However, whilst the lovely, sunny weather has been great for days out, with no issues about whether it's going to rain, that lack of rainfall has had consequences at the allotment. It's meant lots of watering and some crops that we didn't get around to watering have certainly suffered. The worst affected are our potatoes and it's been a case of quarrying our early Casablanca potatoes out of rock hard ground.

July Rainfall 2010-2018

July's rainfall was the second lowest of the last nine years and follows on from a dry May which was 8th driest and June 9th driest since starting my weather records. Over the three months we've managed 50.4mm (1.98in) rather than an average of 148.6mm (5.85in) or about a third of what we might expect. To make matters worse much of that rainfall has come in dribs and drabs, a few millimetres or fractions of an inch at a time, doing no more than wet plant leaves and not get down to soil level where it's required. Some beds on the plot have remained uncultivated throughout summer due to the dry conditions.

Our efforts at watering some crops have turned out to be very productive and on most visits to the plot we return home with a variety of fruit and vegetables.

Allotment Harvest 31 July 2018

The forecast for August is for some more hot weather early next week which quickly breaks down with a return to more average temperatures and more unsettled weather for a time. Maybe the lovely summer weather is coming to an end.