I'm a weather expert – June has been so chilly we've even had snow but don't lose hope yet
We can expect around 16 hours of daylight as we roll towards the longest day of the year - the summer solstice.
It’s been a disappointingly cool June so far - daytime temperatures have struggled to get anywhere near a stingy 16 or 17C and it’s felt notably chilly with the cloud and brisk northerly breeze.
It’s been remarkably chilly at night at times too - and has felt more like autumn rather than early summer. Earlier in the month it dropped below freezing in Scotland and sheltered glens have been close to a ground frost in the last couple of nights. The Scottish Highlands have even seen some recent June snow.
This unseasonably chilly start to summer has been made even more stark given the weather in recent years. This time last year a June heatwave resulted in temperatures in excess of 30C in places, with exceptionally hot, humid days and muggy nights. In fact, the last 10 years have seen June temperatures reach close to or exceed 30C or more at some point in the month.
Currently there’s hints of high pressure returning later in the month along with much milder air and a switch in the wind direction - which indicates drier, more settled conditions and the chance of more early summer sunshine. In turn temperatures are expected to recover (finally!) and be closer to a much more pleasant 22-25C.
Despite this June being a bit of a let down so far, we have some of the most stretched out days this time of year. Expect around 16 hours of daylight as we approach the middle of the month and roll towards the longest day of the year - the summer solstice. It’s also worth bearing in mind, June weather is not an indicator of the weather theme for the rest of the summer - there’s still time. There’s even September - given that last year we had 34C heatwave leaving us with one of the hottest on record.
