Climate summaries

Overview of weather across the UK for previous months, seasons and years

Those interested in climate change and predictions of future climates should also visit the Climate Change pages.

UK last month

August 2024

August began on a warm note, with temperatures above average across the country, but cooled in the second half of the month. The weather was changeable, with scattered showers as well as dry, fine spells. The winds were often from the west or southwest, bringing moist, sometimes warm air from the Atlantic. August began with widespread thunderstorms across central and southern parts of England, which brought heavy downpours and some flooding. Temperatures were above or around average for the first week, and then a warm spell moved in from the 10th. The 12th saw the highest temperature of the year so far, 34.8°C, recorded in Cambridge, while thunderstorms spread across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. Following this the temperatures returned to around average for many and below average for northern areas. Scotland in particular saw cooler than average temperatures in the second half of the month. On the 22nd, the 12th named storm of the season arrived: Storm Lilian brought strong winds and heavy rain to northern England and Wales and parts of Scotland. The 2023/24 storm season saw the most named storms since the naming system was launched in 2015.

Overall, temperatures across the UK were slightly above average, with a provisional mean temperature of 15.4°C, 0.3°C above average. However, there was regional variation, with Scotland and Northern Ireland slightly below average (-0.1°C) and England more above average (+0.6°C). Rainfall showed similar regional variation, with northwestern Scotland provisionally experiencing 162% of the average August rainfall while southern England only recorded 50% of the average. Some areas of Scotland including Glasgow, Renfrewshire, and Ayrshire and Arran provisionally recorded over 200% of the average August rainfall. Western Scotland provisionally experienced its third wettest August on record in a series from 1836. For the UK overall, rainfall was nearly average with 103.5mm of rain, 110% of the long-term average. Sunshine was just slightly below average for the UK (provisionally 159.6 hours, 99% of the long-term average).

The UK monthly extremes were as follows: A maximum temperature of 34.8°C was recorded at Cambridge, Niab (Cambridgeshire) on the 12th. A minimum temperature of -1.2°C was recorded at Kinbrace, Hatchery (Sutherland) on the 31st. In the 24 hours ending at 0900 UTC on the 22nd, 154.4mm of rain fell at Honister Pass (Cumbria). A wind gust of 64 knots (74 mph) was recorded at Capel Curig No 3 (Gwynedd) on the 22nd.

Regional values for August 2024