in April than in March. 

 May 



May was a month of two halves for weather in Berl<shire. The month began with sporadic rainfall, 

 with 21.3 mm falling during the first 15 days and just 15.2 h of sunshine in total by the 10"^. Some 

 chilly weather also persisted into May, with below-average temperatures right up until the 20"^. On 

 the 12*^ we recorded the highest pressure in May for 60 years, with the barometer rising to just 

 over 1038 mb thanks to an anticyclone off the south-west coast of Ireland. After a cold 20"^ May, 

 temperatures shot up, reaching 24.4 °C on the 22"^^ and peaking at 26.6 °C on the 27"^, with 

 temperatures staying high even at night. Despite the chilly start, overall temperatures across the 

 month were 0.6 degC above average and there were more days reaching above 25 °C this May 

 than in any May in the past 50 years. A distinct lack of rainfall in later weeks meant rainfall was 

 below average for the month, with just 22.4 mm of rain falling in total by the morning of the 31^' 

 compared to the normal May total of 46 mm, making for the fourth successive dry May. 



June 



A southerly displacement of the jet stream led to a rather dreary start to June. By the 1 5'^ Reading 

 had experienced nearly twice the average monthly rainfall for the whole of June; the 14"^ was the 

 twelfth consecutive day that temperatures failed to reach average highs for June in Reading with 

 only 35 h of sunshine recorded by then. June ended wet with 123 mm of rain falling, making it the 

 wettest June in the town since 1971 with the longest rainless spell lasting just two days. In fact all 

 the cloud in June made it duller than March - only 130 h of sunshine were recorded, the dullest 

 June since those of 1990 and 1991. 



July 



July was quite cool and also wetter than average. It was the equal coolest July since 2000 and the 

 wettest since 2007. There were no very wet days, but measureable (0.2 mm or more) rain was 

 recorded on 20 days. With 180 h of sunshine it was the sunniest July for four years - but it was 

 still only four hours sunnier than in March. July was the only month this year without a ground frost. 



August 



August was slightly drier than normal. But, again, the perception was of a poor, dull summer 

 month. August, despite temperatures being close to average, was the sunniest month of 201 2 (with 

 1 93 hours of sunshine) - meaning that 201 2 was the first year locally since 1 988 in which no month 

 recorded 200 hours of sunshine. 



September 



September brought close to normal rainfall amounts - but it was still the wettest September for six 

 years. September was the seventh consecutive month with a similar sunshine total - and the 

 sunniest September since those of 2003 and 2004. Some cool nights led to nine ground frosts 

 during the month - the most in September since the 10 recorded in 2003. In the past 50 years only 

 2003 and 1986 (with 12 ground frosts) have had more. 



October 



The final three months of the year were rather on the wet side - with 128 mm of rain falling. 

 October was the wettest month of the year with falls of 0.2 mm or more being recorded on 25 days. 

 It was the coldest October for nine years but the daytime maximum temperatures averaged out as 

 the lowest for 1 9 years in October. 



November 



Another wet month led to some minor local flooding. It was warmer overall than the November of 

 2010 but almost 3 degC colder than November 2011. The highest temperature of the month was 

 just 14.2 °C - the coolest 'hottest November day' (along with 2008) since 1995. Despite it being a 

 wet month, there have been many wetter Novembers in recent years - November can sometimes 

 be a very wet month. 



December 



Early December brought a hint of winter when the maximum temperature on the 12"^ rose to just - 

 1.6 °C, the coldest December day since 1991. Then the wet weather returned - 118 mm of rain 



65 



