SUMMARIES: 2010 onwards ....

A word of caution re: the 'warmest' and 'sunniest' data.

1. I have used the generally published figures from various Daily or Monthly Weather Summaries, and other sources. This means that sometimes, values are used that are later questioned: in particular, some stations have been found to be non-representative when careful later checks are made. I have used some of the 'roof-top' sites, (e.g. London, Cardiff), but remember that these are generally regarded as poor when set alongside the more 'standard' ground-level settings. Also note that these data (where known / given) are simply the locations we know of! They are not meant to be exhaustive: just giving the broad idea of where the warmest (or sunniest) spots were, and with what value. In some cases, I do not know the exact value, so the value to the nearest degC (temperature) or h (hours of sunshine) is listed.

2. Sunshine can be mis-reported for all sorts of reasons, and it is not unknown for coastal resorts to 'massage' the figures! Note that sometimes, sunshine from the previous day can be carried forward to the current one: this is a result of some reporting stations being required to return sunshine totals for the 24hr up to 6pm local time - therefore the previous evening's sunshine may well intrude. However, I have quoted all figures below without editing as long as they look reasonable. Note also that in the 'sunniest' sections, in the earlier years I have ONLY used stations from England, Wales and Northern Ireland (and also the Channel Islands if applicable). If stations in Scotland have had markedly better sunshine figures than elsewhere, then I will make mention in the text for these; for the latter part of the series though, all stations are used.

2010: (27th - 30th August)
WEEKEND COOL, SHOWERY N, CENTRAL & E DISTRICTS: FINE/SUNNY HOLIDAY MONDAY FOR MOST.
Warmest = 21.3degC (Eskdalemuir [Dumfries & Galloway]/30th)
Sunniest = 13.1h (Guernsey airport [Channel Islands]/28th & Guernsey airport [Channel Islands] & Prestwick [Ayrshire]/30th)

Friday: A cloudy start to the day across East Anglia, SE England and much of Central-Southern England, with rain for most, though this tended to ease and fragment during the morning, with the lower cloud breaking up from the northwest by afternoon. The afternoon & early evening in these areas was dry, with some sunshine, but areas of thicker high cloud restricted bright sunshine amounts. Elsewhere across England & Wales, together with the central lowlands, SW and border regions of Scotland, a largely dry, fine day after a cold start. Plenty of sunshine (8 to 11 hours for many; a high figure for late August) & only a few showers turning up for a time in the afternoon - most here remaining dry. Northern Ireland & the remainder of Scotland had a day of broken cloud, some occasional sunshine but also a widespread scattering of showers - lengthier spells of rain NW Scotland & the northern Isles. A cold start for rural / upland areas of northern Britain and Ireland - minima 1 to 3degC (with widespread ground frost), but soon warming up, and most of the country had afternoon maxima around average for late August - with sheltered spots on the south coast of England & across Yorkshire reaching 20 or 21degC; a chill NW wind across cloudier, showery exposed northwestern districts though - with maxima restricted to 14 or 15degC.
Saturday: A sunny morning across much of southern UK (& the Channel Isles) with light breezes and only patches of 'fair-weather' cloud. Cloudier further north, especially across N. Ireland, N & W Scotland, N. Wales & much of NW England with showery rain. Sheltered eastern & SE districts though mostly dry/bright with occasional sunshine; during the afternoon, showers spread (or developed) elsewhere across northern & central districts - some lengthy spells of rain over the western Highlands and the Grampians, and showers elsewhere were heavy at times - though with spells of sunshine as well. By far the best of the sunny, dry weather was across SW Britain, the Channel Islands and the counties south of London (8 to 11 hours, 13 hours on Guernsey); the sun distinctly fitful across the north, but Orkney & Shetland had lengthy spells of sunshine, 6 to 8 hours here. Afternoon maxima just into the low-20s degC across the Midlands, Central-Southern & Southeast England, but 17-19degC elsewhere over England & Wales (much cooler hillier & exposed coastal spots): Scotland and Northern Ireland cooler than Friday - with a freshening N wind and some cloudier, wetter areas of N & W Scotland & the Islands were distinctly chilly for late August.
Sunday: Northern Ireland, England & Wales started the day cloudy with bands of showery rain moving south, followed by sunshine & showers across northern areas by early afternoon; a cloudy morning for northern & eastern Scotland with rain, but brighter weather, with scattered showers already over the north & west Isles and far north of Scotland spread south on a strong, gusty and decidedly cold N or NW wind. Through the afternoon, fine but rather chilly weather spread further south, replacing bands of showery rain (thundery with strong winds over eastern England), and by early evening, most of the country was dry & sunny, if on the 'brisk' side! Afternoon temperatures struggled - two or three degC below average (at least) in the windy north & east (cold 'edge' to the wind - North Sea coastal Scotland & NE England no better than 13degC), and only just approaching the late August average in the sunnier southwest of Britain: no-where (officially) made 20degC, even where sunny. In the persistently sunny spots though (e.g. Isle of Man, south & west Scotland), and out of the wind, then the day didn't feel too bad.
Monday: Another cold start in many northern & western rural areas, 2 to 4degC (with ground frost) widely from Devon through Wales, the Lakes and across upland Scotland (0.9degC Tulloch Bridge, Inverness-shire), but soon warming up in the strong sunshine. However, it was cloudier for a time and still breezy over eastern counties of England, together with east and northeast Scotland - a few light showers here in the morning. The afternoon was generally fine - some cloud building up where it had been sunny in the morning, but overall a fine day [10-12 hours, or more, sunshine many central & western areas] - warmer than Sunday with lighter winds & the cloud tended to melt away late afternoon into a chilly evening. Only Shetland was cloudy, breezy with showery rain at times.

2011: (26th - 29th August)
OFTEN CLOUDY: IN NORTH-COOL, WINDY SPELLS WITH RAIN; IN SOUTH-MORE SUN BUT SHOWERS TOO.
Warmest = 20.3degC (Cavendish [Suffolk]/28th)**(see below)
Sunniest = 11.5h (Jersey airport [Jersey/CI]/29th)

Friday: Bands of heavy rain, with isolated embedded thunderstorms/torrential downpours, moved across much of south-east, central-southern & Midland England, extending northwards across East Anglia, East Midlands, Yorkshire & eventually into NE England & heavy thundery rainfall slowly rotated across SW England & S Wales: further north, after a bright start, showery rain - locally torrential, developed across southern, central & later NE Scotland. In all of these areas, some high, short-period rainfall was recorded, with 39 mm in the period 7am-7pm at Redesdale Camp, Northumberland, but several other spots picked up 30 mm or more, e.g., Loftus on the NE English coast & Kinloss on the Moray shore-line. [It's worth remembering that these values will understate the intensity and amounts - many places will have had more rain, but missed the reporting network.] Away from these regions, much more sunshine - showers fewer apart (though still isolated heavy/thundery): the best spots to be on this day were around the coasts/islands of the Irish Sea & in the Channel Islands, with sunshine values 7 to 9 hours - and even the far NW of Scotland, the W & N Isles had a reasonably fine day. A cool day where wet: several degrees below average, e.g., 16 or 17degC across the English Midlands, E & SE Scotland - colder than this on the NE coasts; but close to average in sheltered coastal sunshine in the west and NW (including Northern Ireland) & the far SE of England.
Saturday: Much of Scotland & far NE England had a cloudy morning with rain about - principally close to the N.Sea coasts; SW Scotland was reasonably fine though, and much of England, Wales, Northern Ireland & Islands had a day of scattered showers - periods of sunshine, but also spells with thicker cloud & lengthier downpours of showery rain: several hours of thunderstorms for eastern England, Lincolnshire & East Anglia. Showers were few and far between though over southern Britain, all windwards coasts/islands & decayed generally from the west towards evening - with most places having periods of reasonably strong sunshine, albeit not continuous. A west or NW wind enhanced the notable chill under cloud cover in the north, especially the NE of Scotland, where temperatures struggled to achieve much above 12 or 13degC, but temperatures in some sheltered south/south-eastern & Midland areas of England (and sheltered coasts/inland spots elsewhere) reached 'average' values for late August. [ **On this day / 27th, the 'declared' highest temperature was 21.0degC at Killowen (County Down / Northern Ireland), but this looks far too high - and the value of 19.7degC recorded at Pershore (Worcestershire) & Shoreham (Sussex) are considered more representative. ]
Sunday: It was already grey, chill & damp across N, Highland & E Scotland (and the N. Isles) at dawn, with persistent rain affecting most regions adjacent/downwind the North Sea: 32 mm of rain fell at Loch Glascarnoch, northern Scotland in the 12 hours 7am - 7pm, and many other spots in this part of Scotland had 15 - 30 mm of rain through the day. [In the 24hours to 10 pm this day, Wick collected 66 mm of rain]. Through the day, these overcast conditions spread to all of Scotland, much of northern England & N. Ireland, though rainfall was rather 'hit & miss' & much less intense than further north. A cold day, with a gusty, strong (gale/near-gale) wind - temperatures failing to reach 13 or 14degC in the north & northeast. Elsewhere - bright, periods of sunshine but also large areas of cloud: these latter bringing fleeting showers - mainly across southern England. Best of the sunshine today across SW England, much of S & mid-Wales, NE Midlands, S & East Yorkshire (9.6hr Leconfield, nr. Beverley, East Yorkshire). Warm out of the wind & in prolonged sunshine (20-21degC many parts East Anglia and SE England); chillier where showers were persistent.
Monday: The day started with patchy rain across some parts of NW Scotland & N. Ireland, but for most, a dry morning; however, large areas of cloud were already drifting across Scotland, Northern Ireland and NW England and by midday, much of the country had large amounts of cloud - producing sporadic bursts of rain - especially upland & some windward coastal areas: further east & south (and in shelter) - remaining dry with bright weather continuing: the best conditions found across the SW of England, SW Wales & the Channel Islands - 9 or 10 hours of bright sunshine for many. A brisk, chill N/NW wind still for the N & E, especially Scotland and NE England, but easing from the strength of yesterday: afternoon temperatures well below average in the north & only just touching 'normal' values in the sunnier far south & SW.