Weather Statistics for September

Looking back at September as a whole it turned out to be a fairly average month, although there were a few notable events. For the first time in 4 years we saw temperatures reach 30 degrees and a few long running observing sites recorded their highest September temperature on record, although the end of the month saw more unsettled weather and cooler air, including a record low September temperature for Northern Ireland.

The first few days of September were rather unsettled, with frontal systems moving across from the west. Southern areas began to see less in the way of rain from the 9th onwards, whereas fronts continued to affect the north, with an especially wet period in western Scotland on the 12th/13th. Warm air moved into southern and eastern areas from the 14th, with a late-season hot spell bringing temperatures not far off 30°C on the 14th and peaking at 31.3°C on the 15th, and settled conditions continuing beyond that for another few days. However, around the 23rd the weather became more unsettled and decidedly cooler.

Rainfall

September rainfall was well below average for most regions of the UK, with only parts of western Scotland and East Anglia bucking this trend. Argyll and Bute received 203mm of rainfall, thanks mainly to heavy rain on the 12th while a slow-moving band of rain sat over much of the East Anglian coast on the 25th boosting rainfall levels here. Over the month Norfolk recorded 93.7mm of rain, 66% above its September average, with Houghton Hall receiving 45.2mm of rainfall on the 25th alone, while Cambridge weather station, around 55 miles inland, recorded no rainfall at all on that day.

Rainfall
Provisional September figuresActual rainfall% of the September average   
UK74.3mm77
England44.9mm65
Wales76.2mm65
Scotland121.8mm90
Northern Ireland58.1mm85

Temperature

For the first time since 2016 we saw temperatures reach 30 degrees in September. The 14th and 15th September were the warmest days this month. The 14th reached 29C and 6 weather stations recorded temperatures of 30C or above on the 15th.

Back in 2016 the hot weather was longer lasting and more wide-spread with temperatures reaching 34.4C at Gravesend in Kent on 13th September 2016.

Northern Ireland recorded its lowest minimum temperature on record for September on the 27th with a minimum of -3.7C. This beats the previous record of -3.6C which was again set at Katesbridge in 2018.

Maximum temperature  Minimum temperature 
Provisional September figuresActual °CDifference from Sept average °CActual °CDifference from Sept average °C
UK17.10.68.6-0.2
England18.60.79.3-0.2
Wales17.20.68.9-0.2
Scotland14.80.47.3-0.3
Northern Ireland16.50.48.6-0.1

Sunshine

September was a sunny month overall for many with most areas seeing above average sunshine hours.

Sunshine
Provisional September figuresActual sunshine in hours% of the September average   
UK145.3117
England166.2121
Wales153.7120
Scotland112.5107
Northern Ireland121.9107

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