WE are now just three days away from matching the famous drought of the summer of 1976, according to a Coventry meteorologist.
Steve Jackson at Bablake weather station tweeted today: “So Wednesday became the 35th day without measurable rain at #Bablake, matching the drought in late summer 1959; so now only the 39 day drought in 1976 has lasted longer since 1892 in Coventry.”
Mr Jackson answers those who point to the one or two localised incidents of rain in the last two weeks by saying there was no record of ‘meaningful’ and measurable rain at Bablake, where he has been taking readings and measurements of the weather for decades.
The most significant rain in the Coventry and Warwickshire region – though patchy and localised – came last Friday in late afternoon.
It is not clear from forecasts if this summer will beat 1976 by having four more days without ‘meaningful’ rain in our region.
Mr Jackson tweeted: “Thunderstorms could develop later this evening, with a very warm & humid night to follow with minima around 18C.
“Thunderstorms threatening again on Friday, but mostly to the east of our region perhaps; very warm & humid at 28C with sunny spells.
“Less warm with rain at times over the weekend & early next week; sunny spells & highs around 22C, so pleasant enough in a normal summer & quite refreshing in Summer 2018.”
He tweeted in yesterday’s sweltering heat: “Very warm days on the 25th July in #Coventry, with temperatures over 27C (81F), were much more common in the early 20th century than of late, in 1900, 1905, 1911, 1921 1941,1989 and 2006.”
