Although we see a lot of sunshine in April, it's in May that the strength of the sun really becomes apparent if you stay out in it for any length of time.

The sun is at its strongest at the time of the summer solstice, around June 21st but by early May it is as strong as in mid August and quite capable of causing sunburn, if you don't take the right precautions.

The average sunshine amount during May across England and Wales is about 200 hours, equating to around 7 hours per day but the sunniest Mays' can see more like nine or ten hours on average each day. As the far north sees increasingly long days, in the right conditions parts of Scotland can see a lot of warm sunshine; for example in May 1975 there were 329 hours recorded on the island of Tiree in the Outer Hebrides, Scotlands sunniest month ever.

Whilst we record the total hours of sunshine it is the strength of the sun that actually causes most problems, combined with how long you

Our tips these past few months have all seemed to concentrate on how wet it has been this summer. It has been a lot drier in the south recently, though still very wet in the north (August seeing as much as 150% of the average rainfall in southern and western Scotland and Northern Ireland) but we make no apologies for featuring this issue again: it is something we may well hear a lot more about this autumn. Evidently, according to Terry Marsh from the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, some soils in the UK have been their wettest since records began in 1961, this summer. The groundwater levels have also been at record levels in places for the time of year, especially in the north east, NW England, NW Midlands and Gloucestershire area.

According to the Hydrological Survey for England & Wales in July, many catchment areas were close to saturation by

Last month we discussed the risk of flooding due to high rainfall, noting that periods when hot dry weather predominates are often followed by wet unsettled weather, causing local flooding, such as in 1947 and 1975. Indeed it seems that for many parts 2006 has repeated this pattern; up to 200% of the average rainfall fell in August over parts of East Anglia giving local flooding, bringing rather too much of the needed rainfall in too short a period.

This month our attention need turn to flooding again, though of a rather different sort. During September and October we are expecting to see some of the highest tides for twenty years in places. The cities of Hull, Portsmouth and Cardiff have been recently named as being at especial risk but many other areas are also implicated, particularly resorts down the East coast. Scientists have made the point that as sea levels rise due to climate change and the fact that the south east is slowly sinking, the possibility

Around Autumn this column usually takes a look how the UK's soil has fared over the summer and what winter therefore most likely bodes. This year it really has been a tale of two halves, for example it has been pretty dry in the south recently, but conversely wet or even very wet in the north. August saw just 50% of average rain in the SE for instance but the north west especially Northern Ireland saw as much as 200% of the average rainfall. Unlike 2007 though it has been nowhere near as wet and only in the north west are groundwater levels at high levels for the time of year.

In the north west run off patterns have been typical of a fairly wet winter with reservoir stocks now high. Soils were wet enough in the far NW to allow some aquifer recharge in places, quite rare in summer.

This means that any large amounts of rain running into the wet soil are likely to run straight off

As I recall I mentioned here a few years ago, by early July the course of our summer can often be set. A warm settled June can cause water temperatures locally around the coast to have risen above normal and the weather pattern gets set into what we weather buffs like to call a classic ‘blocked’ set up; when Azores high pressure lies to the north of its usual position, extending well to the north east across the United Kingdom, with gentle south easterly winds pulling up some very warm air up from the heart of the sun baked European continent.

Conversely, we may have found that the unsettled weather we associate with a mobile Atlantic has not let up on us through June, bringing a regular supply of depressions, albeit weak ones -or sometimes not so weak- to the northern and western parts of the British Isles.

Whilst these patterns are a regular feature of our weather across our maritime islands we should never be lulled into a sense of security that we really know what to expect

By early July the course of our summer can often seem set. If we have had a warm settled June water temperatures in our local seas may well have risen above normal and the weather pattern look set into a classic ‘blocked’ set up; the Azores high pressure may be well to the north of its usual position, extending well to the north east across the United Kingdom, with gentle south easterly winds pulling up some very warm air up from the heart of the sun baked European continent.

Conversely, we may have found that the unsettled weather we associate with a mobile Atlantic has not let up on us through June, bringing a regular supply of depressions, albeit weak ones, across us, more especially to the northern and western parts of the British Isles.

Such different patterns are a regular feature of our changeable patterns of weather across our maritime islands and the reason why those of us affected by the weather- which after all is probably

By early July the course of our summer can often seem set. If we have had a warm settled June water temperatures in our local seas may well have risen above normal and the weather pattern look set into a classic ‘blocked’ set up; the Azores high pressure may be well to the north of its usual position, extending well to the north east across the United Kingdom, with gentle south easterly winds pulling up some very warm air up from the heart of the sun baked European continent.

Conversely, we may have found that the unsettled weather we associate with a mobile Atlantic has not let up on us through June, bringing a regular supply of depressions, albeit weak ones, across us, more especially to the northern and western parts of the British Isles.

Such different patterns are a regular feature of our changeable patterns of weather across our maritime islands and the reason why those of us affected by the weather- which after all is probably most, if not

After the wet periods we saw in July it may have seemed that after July's last week or so when the sun shone that all the rain was behind us. Sadly that doesnt look to be the case with a lot more wet weather looking set to come in August.

We look to be entering a period when the jet will take a rather southerly course, steering depressions on a quite southerly track across the southern UK, with high pressure still established over the area from Iceland down through northern Scandinavia. north . As this means the track is over warmer water then the amount of moisture held by such depressions tends to be greater and as they reach the UK, blocked by high pressure further east they slow down, and release copious amounts of rain across us, especially if thunderstorms develop as well.

Summer rainfall is not especially useful generally as it tends to run off the soil rapidly without sinking in and so does not increase the water table in the long run. Equally,

After the chilly end to March some of us may not want to wait for another few months to experience an English summer and be wanting to escape to warmer climes further south where summer like warmth and sunshine is- if not guaranteed -at least an odds on chance.

So where should you think about heading? People do often expect that it will be warmer in the south of Europe earlier than it actually is especially warm. The two key things to consider are your proposed location: inland or by the sea and the strength of the sun. Certainly the sun may be very strong at locations below about 40N by mid April. You can get burnt in the sun in fact even in winter time along the southern Spanish coast and islands like Malta and Crete. So if the sun is out it will be strong. However out of the sun and at night it may be quite cold. This is because the diurnal range inland can be very high in Spring, due to the air being very dry; this is

Moving to Sovereign Harbour in 2005 meant our live systems’ sensors needed a new home too. For our Davis Sensor Suite we found this to be on the Harbour Yacht Clubs roof, enabling the Club to have live weather information for their use.

For the live WMR928 and WS2300 systems we have on display in the shop we have sited the sensors just outside the shop on a flag pole. In addition, all the products in the shop are receiving from temperature and humidity sensors in a Met Office specification Stevenson Screen, which are available made-to-order.