Driest and sunniest June for more than 20 years
June was the driest in more than 20 years as the "barbecue summer" promised by forecasters last year finally arrived.
Leo and Charlie Webster with Molly Fleming at Broughty Ferry beach. Below: fun at the Girlguiding Angus fun day. Bottom: Stephen Robertson and Ben Randerson at St Andrews.
- By David Clegg
- Published in the Courier : 02.07.10
- Published online : 02.07.10 @ 10.34am
There may have been a wet start to July, but the previous month was officially a month of "brilliant" weather.
Figures released by the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Invergowrie showed the month's rainfall was 23.2mm, a mere 45% of the long-term average of 51.7mm.
"It was the least rain in June since 1988 when there was 22.3mm," said meteorological observer Alison Dobson.
"It also had the most bright sunshine since 1996.
"It has been dry, warm, brilliant weather."
There were 206.7 hours of sunshine, she said, compared to a long-term average of 170.6 hours.
Those long hours of sunshine saw hundreds of sun-seekers flock to popular spots including Broughty Ferry beach and many of the city's parks.
Sweltering swimmers took to the water in a bid to stay cool, enjoyed an ice cream and emptied butcher shops of burgers and sausages for their barbecues.
But Professor James Ferguson, a Dundee University expert, warned that the warm spell was encouraging people in Tayside to stay out in the sun too long.
The mercury peaked on June 22 when the month's highest air temperature of 23.7C was recorded.
The lowest temperature of 5.2C came on June 15.
Separate figures released by the Met Office show Angus had an average maximum temperature of a toasty 16.9C, falling to an average minimum of 8.1C.
Scottish Water, which is considering imposing a drought order in Dumfries and Galloway, has insisted reservoirs in Tayside have been unaffected by the dry spell and water levels are fine.
The situation is most severe in the west of Scotland.
Nevertheless, water bosses might be the only people in Tayside happy to hear that rain is forecast for the next few days.
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