AFTER three miserable Julys, our hopes for something a lot better this time, failed to materialise. July was on the warm side but, with less than threequarters of the anticipated ration of sunshine, it was the dullest July for at least ten years.

A bonus for most of us in the south and east of the region was that it was the driest July since 2006 – not a great achievement after the downpours in the preceding three summers. Rainfall totalled as little as half the norm, maintaining the arid spell that started in April.

But what a contrast up in the Dales, around Stockton and in a few other places, which were hit by a deluge on the afternoon of Tuesday the 20th. Up to a month’s rain tumbled down, largely in an hour or two, resulting in local flash-flooding. This contributed to about twice the expected accumulations in these parts during the month and so it was their fourth consecutive exceedingly wet July.

All summer months have been appreciably wetter than usual in the past decade, especially July. At Carlton, near Stokesley, its ten-year, 2001-10, mean rainfall is well over one-and-a-half times that for the 30 years, 1971- 2000.

As in June, there were no notable temperature extremes. July’s highest was widely cooler than those in the last two months. The peak for the year to date was as long ago as May 22, when the mercury topped 26.5C (80F).

Temperatures were above normal, particularly at night, by 0.5-1C (1-2F). So it was the warmest July since the exceptional one of 2006, which was the hottest month of any for 30 years. Minima this time were only 0.2C (0.5F) below that July’s value, but maxima were vastly colder, by as much as 5C (9F).

The year 2006 puts the other Julys of the decade completely in the shade.

Without it, July would be the sole month in the year defying recent warming trends, with lower average temperatures by day in these ten years than in the previous 30.

This year had been relatively calm, but July was unseasonably breezy up to the 19th. This made it the windiest month, oddly, since at least January. A series of deep depressions heading across the Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland was to blame, though they were less vigorous later.

High pressure was always quite close to our east or south. Consequently, cloud, wind and rain tended to increase towards north-west Britain, whereas south-east England enjoyed an excellent July.

So far, summer in Europe is the hottest for seven years and, in western Russia, is breaking all records.

July figures at Carlton in Cleveland: Mean Maximum: 20.6C, 69F (+0.2C, 0.3F); Mean Minimum: 12.7C, 55F (+1.2C, 2.3F); Highest Maximum: 25.8C, 78.5F, 10th; Lowest Minimum: 6.3C, 43.5F, 23rd; Total Rainfall: 46mm, 1.8ins (15mm, 0.6ins); Wettest Day: 10mm, 0.4ins, 20th and No. of Rain Days, with 0.2mm (0.01ins) or more: 15 (+1).

(Figures in brackets show the difference from the 26-year mean, 1984-2009).