WeatherQuest

25/08/2026

A welcome change in the weather!

This summer has been exceptionally hot and dry, with multiple heatwaves and prolonged dry conditions affecting much of Europe. The rainfall accumulation map on the left shows total rainfall between 01/07/2026 and 15/08/2026. Across most of England and Wales, rainfall during this period was less than 5% of the average. Northwest Scotland was the only UK region to receive average or above-average rainfall. As a result, vegetation has become extremely dry, contributing to numerous wildfires across the UK. 🌳🔥

From the 16th of August, however, a much-needed change in the dominant weather pattern moved across the UK and Europe. As the high-pressure block finally shifted eastwards, unsettled Atlantic weather was able to move in, bringing some welcome rainfall. The accumulation map on the right shows the weekly rainfall total from 16/08/2026 to 23/08/2026. Despite this recent rain, much of the UK remains in drought and will need sustained rainfall over a longer period to support water resource recharge and wildlife recovery. 💧☂

19/08/2026

We have come to the end of our posts celebrating our favourite weather for our 25th Anniversary! We hope that you all have found the phenomena as interesting as we do! For the last post on this series, we are focusing on a Fen Blow. 🌬️🌫️

The Fens, located in the East of England inland from the Wash, are an area of very low-lying reclaimed marshland. Being in the driest part of the UK along with its very nutrient rich soils, the area is ideal for arable agriculture, and the Fens are used extensively for that purpose. A Fen blow is a very specific phenomenon local to this area. 🚜🌽🌾

To find out what a Fen Blow specifically is, its impacts and how locals combat it, follow the link to our article below:

https://weatherquest.co.uk/weather-phenomena-fen-blow/

The Fens are located in the East of England inland from the Wash, and can produce a local meteorological phenomenon known as a Fen Blow.

12/08/2026

In our penultimate post of the weather phenomena series celebrating our 25th anniversary we will be exploring orographic uplift! ☁️↗️⛰️

The land surface has one of the largest influences in shaping the weather we experience. On a local scale, things like vegetation cover and buildings can impact wind speeds and temperature. But on a much grander scale, the topography of the area (how mountainous it is) can change the way whole weather systems form and move, impacting not just regions but whole continents. Specifically, air being forced to rise when coming into contact with high altitude areas is known as orographic uplift, and can lead to certain areas getting heavy rain, whilst leaving others with drought. 🌧️/🏜️

To find out more about how this occurs, please head over to our article using the link below:

https://weatherquest.co.uk/weather-phenomena-orographic-uplift/

The land surface has one of the largest influences in shaping the weather we experience with topography alone driving global weather systems.

06/08/2026

Up next in our favourite weather phenomena celebrations for our 25th Anniversary, we have frontal systems, and specifically cold front clearance! 🌧️➡️🌤️

One of the most important aspects when it comes to the weather we experience is how different frontal boundaries interact and move. With different masses of air behind them, their movements often lead to sudden changes in temperature, humidity, cloudiness and wind direction for those of us on the ground. 🌂

To find out more about common fronts, how they are drawn on pressure charts, and the specific process of a cold front clearance, head over to our website using the link below:

https://weatherquest.co.uk/weather-phenomena-cold-front-clearance/

A cold front clearance refers to the process in which a cold front passes, causing changes in the conditions felt at the ground surface.

04/08/2026

The Met Office July monthly stats have been released!

It was a warm month for almost all, with the only places receiving average temperatures being the very northern coast of Scotland, the Isle of Lewis, the Orkneys and Shetland. The majority of Scotland had temperatures between 0.5 – 1.0°C above average, with two warmer pockets in mainland Scotland. Across Northern Ireland, northern England, northern Wales and Norfolk, temperatures were between 1.5 – 2.5°C above average. A large area across the Midlands and the South and Southwest had temperatures between 2.5 – 3.5°C above average. There was a large region spanning from Devon to West Sussex where temperature anomalies were greater than 3.5°C above average. Yeovilton, within this region, had 21 days in July with temperatures above the heatwave threshold for the Southwest (26°C). 🌡️

It was also very sunny for all in July, especially in the Southwest and Wales. The number of sunshine hours in these areas exceeded 170% of the long term average. Across large parts of the Midlands, East Anglia, London and into East Sussex, the sunshine duration reached between 150 – 170%. Similar totals could be found across southern Northern Ireland, parts of Cumbria and southwest Scotland. Across the rest of East Anglia, Kent, northern England, western Scotland and Shetland, sunshine duration reached between 130 – 150%. The sunshine duration dropped even further across eastern Scotland, with values still reaching 110 – 130% of the average. Only parts of the Hebrides and the Orkneys received average or lower sunshine duration. 🌅

Regarding rainfall, it has been exceptionally dry for the UK. Across most of England and Wales, values did not even reach >20%, with many counties only receiving

29/07/2026

This week for our 25th Anniversary weather phenomena deep-dive we are looking at lightning!🌩️

One of the largest risks to our clients, especially those working offshore and at height, is lightning, which can often strike from a very fast developing thunderstorm system, or even without warning (a rogue strike). Lightning poses a risk not only to life but also to vital infrastructure, where strikes can disrupt communities and services until repairs are completed.⛑️

To find out how lightning is created, the most common types, and some tips on how to stay safe during thunderstorms, follow the link below:

https://weatherquest.co.uk/weather-phenomena-lightning/

One of the largest risks to our clients is lightning, which can strike from rapidly developing thunderstorms, or even without warning.

22/07/2026

For our next post in the series of our favourite weather phenomena for our 25th anniversary, we will be looking into gust fronts! 💨

When cumulonimbus thunderstorms reach maturity, they produce large amounts of precipitation. This precipitation cools the air around it, causing it to sink rapidly compared to the relatively warm air surrounding the storm. This sinking air, known as a downdraft, can move very rapidly and once it hits the ground it spreads outwards horizontally, creating a gust front, named due to the cold front conditions it simulates.⏬

Aside from the impacts of the gust front itself, along its leading edge more phenomena can be created. To read about these, head over to the full article using the link below:

https://weatherquest.co.uk/weather-phenomena-gust-front/

A sinking downdraft from a storm can move very rapidly, and once it hits the ground it spreads outwards horizontally, creating a gust front.

16/07/2026

Up next on the list of our favourite weather phenomena for our 25th Anniversary celebrations is Lake Effect Snow!🌨️

Lake effect snow is a phenomenon that can be found around the world, but it is primarily associated with the Great Lakes region of North America. It can lead to incredibly high snowfall rates of around 5-7 cm/hour, and can easily be a massive risk to local areas through blizzards and snow drifts. However, a very similar process also makes Japan one of the highest snowfall countries in the world. ☃️

To find out about the process and how it creates such a large volume of snow, read the full article using the link below:
https://weatherquest.co.uk/weather-phenomena-lake-effect-snow/

Lake effect snow occurs around the world, but it is primarily associated with the Great Lakes region of North America.

07/07/2026

The Met Office June stats have been released!

Overall, it was a warm month for all, with only a very small pocket of Western Scotland seeing average temperatures, mainly due to the very hot second half of the month we experienced. The majority of Western Scotland saw temperatures of between 0.5°C – 1.0°C above average, whilst the rest of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North saw 1.5°C – 2.5°C above average. In the Southwest and Wales temperatures were a bit more varied, with some regions breaching into the 2.5°C – 3.5°C positive anomaly. The main body of England saw temperatures above 2.5°C but below 3.5°C. 🌡️📈

It was a bit of a mix when it came to rainfall. Western Scotland and Northern Ireland had higher than average rainfall, with pockets receiving >175% of the average. There were also areas in the Southeast with these high rainfall totals, linked heavily to the thunderstorms that we experienced. For most, rainfall was around average, with only the Eastern side of the country and Northeast Wales receiving lower than average, with region having down to 33%. The main rainfall we received during June was through the very unsettled, showery and sometimes thunderous weather the UK received during the first half of the month, dumping large amounts of rainfall in some areas, whilst leaving others dry. This localization can be seen especially in the Southeast, with some areas receiving average, and others only a few miles away receiving >175% of the average. 🌦️☂️

As for sunshine, much of the East had above average levels at 110-130%. Western parts of the country saw around average levels, with only Northwest Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far Southwest receiving lower than average sunshine. The sunshine duration in the Southeast could be linked to the high pressure dominance we had towards the end of the month, bringing very warm and sunny skies from Southern Europe. Due to the position of the blocking high, these clear skies often didn’t quite reach Scotland, creating this geographical split. ☀️⏱️

02/07/2026

From late spring and into the start of Summer, spells of very extreme hot weather impacted Europe, breaking many records. In May, the UK had its highest maximum and highest minimum temperatures broken for that month. And a month later, the same thing happened again in June. ⚠️ 📈

High pressure developing and cementing itself over the European continent seemed to be the driving force for both events, changing the weather in the UK from unsettled to hot and sunny. ☀️ 🌡️

To explore the many records the heatwaves broke, the impact they had on the population and how likely we are to see something similar in the future, head on over to our new article on our website using the link below:

https://weatherquest.co.uk/european-heatwaves-2026/

From late spring and into the start of Summer, spells of very extreme hot weather impacted Europe, breaking many records.