MULTIPLE weather records at the University of Reading could soon be broken, says meteorologist Dr Stephen Burt.
This could be the first time in almost 170 years that Reading has experienced an entire calendar month without measurable rainfall.
Temperature, rainfall and sunshine records could all break if forecasts for the final few days of July are as expected.
Dr Burt explained: “Parts of Reading have remained rainless throughout July.
“With little or no rainfall in prospect for the next few days, the entire calendar month is likely to end without measurable rainfall in places.
“Since reliable rainfall records began in the Reading area almost 170 years ago, in 1858, no rainfall station in or around Reading has ever experienced an entire calendar month without measurable rainfall.
“A light shower on the morning of 2 July 2026 gave 0.4 mm at the Reading University Atmospheric Observatory, the only rainfall recorded month to date.
“If no further rain falls by Saturday morning, July will become the driest-ever month since our records began in 1908.
“The current record holder is June 1925, with 0.5 mm.
“This is in stark contrast to the start of the year, when we had 37 consecutive days with rainfall to mid-February.
“July is also likely to take its place as the hottest month on the university record, its provisional mean daily temperature looking to be 21.15 °C, hotter than the previous July 2006 record of 21.06 °C.
“And the month’s mean daily maximum temperature, provisionally 28.0 °C is almost a degree higher than July 2006’s value of 27.2 °C.
“July 1976’s mean daily maximum temperature was 25.6 °C.
July may well become the third consecutive month to establish a new record high monthly mean temperature following new highs in both May and June this year.
“July will almost certainly become the sunniest on record,” says Dr Burt.
“As of Monday morning, July 27, monthly sunshine duration to date provisionally amounts to 281 hours.”
With the current July record standing at 299 hours, in 2018, there need only be 18 hours of sunshine in the coming days to surpass this record.
For information, visit: research.reading.ac.uk (search for meteorology).
