Wet Summer!? Really!?

[Ukwildlifeo]

I keep hearing about this 'Wet Summer' we had this year. In Essex at least this hasn't been the case. I worked outside from April till July and I only remember proper rain 2 maybe 3 times (and the Saturday at Thursley!). There are cracks forming in the ground 10+cm across and half a metre down and the leaves have gone brown early. The short grass field have gone brown too.

In Kent Ive been told they dont rmember a drier summer in 30 odd years.

So has it been damper the other side of London, outside my bubble (the furtherest west Ive been is Hampshire)?

[ron1863]

Up here in Scotland we have had a really wet Summer, August was the wettest on record and July wasn't much better

[Susie]

We have had a really dry summer (today being the exception but then it is no longer summer ). My garden is completely dessicated and there are large cracks in the clay soil.

[Jenny W]

It's been a pretty dry summer here too, apart from July when we had over average rainfall. The dryer year was badly needed for a lot of species that have suffered in the last two summers - it's been great seeing good numbers of insects and several bird species having good breeding seasons.

[Johnny Redgate]

In west Shropshire I swear it rained every day from the end of June to the beginning of August. I was waiting all that time to cut my hay and watching it go over and lose its quality. What with a drought in the east and very wet in the west I'm expecting hay to be expensive this year if I run out.

[Susie]

I didn't appreciate until I moved to the country how crucial that time in August can be when the wheat or hay needs to be gathered in. A whole year's livelihood can depend upon it for some people. Watching the combineds working around the clock for those few crucial days and nights was a real eye opener and it all depended on the weather holding out. Fortunately this year down here it did. Last year the crops rotted in the field.

[aeshna5]

Around London we've had a reasonable summer. July was pretty wet with rain most days, but since early August it's been fine with little rain apart from the odd day.

[sunnydale]

I think it's been fairly balanced in Derbyshire too, certainly better than the previous two Summers

Looking at my walking log, I've definitely walked more during the last 2-3 months than I did for the same period last year

T.x

[thebeard]

not been hot and sunny much, but its certainly been quite a dry summer in nottinghamshire. looking forward to the rain which is meant to be on its way, so some more fungi begin appearing!

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Johnny Redgate

In west Shropshire I swear it rained every day from the end of June to the beginning of August. I was waiting all that time to cut my hay and watching it go over and lose its quality. What with a drought in the east and very wet in the west I'm expecting hay to be expensive this year if I run out.

Some of the farmers round here were still waiting to take their first cut in the the first week of September. Luckily it's been dry enough since then for them all to get it in - not sure what the quality will be like though.

Originally Posted by thebeard

not been hot and sunny much, but its certainly been quite a dry summer in nottinghamshire. looking forward to the rain which is meant to be on its way, so some more fungi begin appearing!

Now I like fungi but given a choice between nice dry sunny autumn days and good fungi weather I'd have to choose the dry stuff - long may it continue please.

Originally Posted by sunnydale

I think it's been fairly balanced in Derbyshire too, certainly better than the previous two Summers

Looking at my walking log, I've definitely walked more during the last 2-3 months than I did for the same period last year

T.x

I think it the classic south-east / north west divide. July and August were both consistently wet here. We're right on the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales and are the first to catch anything wet coming in off the Atlantic and boy did we catch it once again.