Dry, cool and sunny June for the UK

June was a month of contrasts for many, with a cool first half of the month offset by warmth later in the month, with rainfall also in relatively short supply, especially in the south.

A drier than average month

June was drier than average, with the UK recording 29% less rainfall than the long-term meteorological average. It saw 55.1mm recorded across the month.

Wales and the south of England received much lower-than-average rainfall amounts. Wales recorded 48.1mm which is 48% less than average. The south of England recorded 24.8mm which is 58% less than the average.

Northern Scotland recorded above average amounts. It saw 122.0mm of rainfall, 32% more than its  average for June. 

A cooler than average month

The average mean temperature for June was 12.9°C. This is 0.4°C below the long-term meteorological average.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “Temperatures in the first two weeks of June were around 2°C below average. This was due to northerly winds bringing cold Arctic air across the UK in what was a cool start to meteorological summer.

“The second half of the month saw high pressure as the jet stream moved north, bringing warmth to many, especially in the south. Some areas of southeast England exceeded 28°C for several days.”

However, the warm weather was short-lived, and temperatures returned to around or below average for the last few days of the month.

The below graph shows June 2024’s daily mean temperatures compared to the long-term average.

Near-average sunshine for many

While there was regional variation, sunshine hours for the UK were slightly above average, with 178.8 hours of sunshine (4% more than average).

England had the most sunshine compared to average of the UK nations, with a provisional 210.2 hours, or 12% more than average.

In contrast, Northern Ireland had 112.3. hours of sunshine, which is 25% fewer than average, though not low enough to get near any records.