'Dry up the wells or break down the bridges' is one of the weather folklore sayings credited to September and this September certainly chose the kind option. And indeed locally September has been a record breaker. Previously the driest September in Cumbria was 7.6 mm from Brampton (Denton Holme) in 1894, a total equalled this year at Drumburgh (Solway coast) - but beaten by just 7.3 mm at Appleby, 5.6 mm at Newton Rigg and just 4.8 mm at Walney.

   Here at Maulds Meaburn the final total was just 10.1 mm, a new record low for any month at this site (records from June 2007) and also a new record was the fact that measurable rain (at least 0.2 mm) only fell on three days. That total of 10.1 mm represented just 11.1% of average for September during 2007-2013, with that Appleby total being just 9.7% of average back to 1891.

   With high pressure dominant, MSLP of 1019.8 Mb was +5.7 Mb above average and consequently it was settled and dry, but also much warmer than average and warmer than August, a rare event. But the lack of rain was the story and during the month we had a 17 day 'Absolute Drought' (6th - 22nd) when no measurable rain fell.

   But whilst it may have been warm, dry and settled there was a distinct lack of direct sunlight. Any sunshine tended to be weak and hazy at best with many days seeing variable amounts of cloud with a notable lack of sun from the 18th.

   Overall a mean minimum of 8.83°c and a mean maximum of 18.48°c saw the temperature some 1.3°c above the 1981-2010 average, making it the warmest September since 2006. The highest maximum temperature recorded was 22.5°c (4th), the lowest minimum 3.8°c (8th).

   It was the driest September locally on record and was typically 9 to 13% of average for September around the various sites. At Newton Rigg with just 5.6 mm, in a series back to 1914, it was the driest September on record (3 years of incomplete data).

   Figures from the Environment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1961-90)   ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Environment Agency (Penrith)’:

   Kirkby Thore 8.4 mm (69.7 mm)

   Brothers Water 16.7 mm (243 mm)

   Nunwick Hall 8.0 mm (79.3 mm) and

   40.4 mm at Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale - 295 mm).

  1st - 5th    With high pressure (HP) building from the south west and migrating to Scandinavia during the period, the month started on a settled note with dry and pleasantly warm days. However, these few days saw more in the way of cloud than sunshine, but warm, benign and calm was a big improvement on that of August.

   That HP was over Scandinavia come the 3rd and extended a broad ridge over the UK with a light easterly flow. Subsequently, with variable amounts of cloud any sunshine tended to be hazy, but 21°c was attained on each of 2nd-5th with the 4th enjoying that little bit more sunshine and subsequently the month's highest temperature of 22.5°c (72.5°f).

  6th    The breakdown in the weather was very short lived with a cold front northwest of Scotland moving south overnight 5-6th, giving 7.4 mm of rain (credited to the 5th). Behind the cold front a Polar Maritime air mass was introduced and subsequently it became slightly fresher.

  7th - 19th    The settled conditions then returned and which would ultimately see 17 consecutive days (6th - 22nd) of no measurable rain. High pressure just to the west of Eire would build and become established over the UK and by the 12th that HP would only have travelled as far as the North Sea.

   Heavy overnight dews, weak and hazy sunshine during the morning with cloud increasing in the afternoon were common, but the days were also dry, still, calm and warm.

   The HP migrated to Scandinavia from the 13th but maintained a strong ridge over the UK and began to introduce an easterly flow and hence more cloud. Now even hazy sunshine was at a premium and the days became somewhat grey and just a little boring and monotonous, but warmer continental air was drawn up from the 16th and the temperature rose accordingly.

   It was now warm by both day and night, but humid and less comfortable. The 16-18th all attained 20°, with the 18th bang on 70°f (21.1°c) and which followed a low of 14.2°c overnight.

   The HP over Scandinavia had slipped further away by the 17th but still managed to hold at bay LP centred in Biscay, all of which maintained the easterly flow and grey skies through to the 19th.

  20th - 22th    After a weak occluded front then cold front moved north - south during the 20th, but only giving a trace of rain, a new area of HP (1028 MB) built from the Atlantic. This gave slightly cleaner and fresher air and for the first time in a while, some direct sunlight.

  23rd - 26th    The period of 'Absolute Drought' came to an end after 17 days of no measurable rain on the 23rd (mainly falling during the early hours of the 24th). The HP had dropped south into the mid Atlantic allowing a more natural west-east flow and the next few days were typified by the passage of weak and weakening fronts passing over.

   This gave an overcast day with a few spots of rain 23rd, with the main rainfall (1.6 mm) coming overnight into the 24th. But despite the presence of the weather fronts we generally stayed dry, mainly cloudy but with a few brighter moments.

  27th - 30th    Sitting at the westerly edge of HP centred over Germany 27-28th and then within a slack pressure gradient 29-30th, the month would finish on a flat and generally cloudy note. After a fresher feel on the 27th, the month's coldest day at 14.9°c, the temperature picked up for the rest of the month and remained above average.

   The 30th saw cold fronts associated to LP in the Arctic region making slow progress over the UK and the majority of the 1.0 mm that fell to take the final total for the month over 10mm actually fell overnight into the 1st!

   Rainfall totalled 10.1 mm for the month, with rain recorded on 3 days of which 3 were 'Wet days' (1.0mm +).

   The Mean Temperature for the month was 13.65°c      --      The Mean Max' was   18.48°c     --      The Mean Min'   8.83°c.

   We had 0 Air Frosts in the month (year 12)                  --      Grass frosts totalled 0 (year 49).

   The 1 foot soil temp ranged from a low of 13.6°c on the 28th        to      a high of 16.0°c on the 6th     --      with a monthly mean of 14.8°c

   The 1 meter soil temp ranged from a low of 13.4°c on the 31st     to      a high of 14.0°c on the 5th - 9th and 21st-22nd     --     with a monthly mean of 13.8°c

COMPARISONS:-

   * September 2014 rainfall was 11.1% of the September average for 2007 - 2013

   * September 2014 was 1.28°c warmer than the September average for 2009 - 2013 and 1.3°c warmer than the local long term average 1981-2010

 * The 3 month mean for July/August/September 2014 is                    TEMP'    14.29°c         --          RAIN    231.8 mm


  *                     July/August/September 2013 was                   TEMP'    14.89°c         --          RAIN    310.4 mm

  *                     July/August/September 2012 was                   TEMP'    13.29°c         --          RAIN    377.5 mm

  *                     July/August/September 2011 was                   TEMP'    13.42°c         --          RAIN    305.2 mm

  *                     July/August/September 2010 was                   TEMP'    13.58°c         --          RAIN    254.7 mm

  *                     July/August/September 2009 was                   TEMP'    14.00°c         --          RAIN    341.4 mm

  *                     July/August/September 2008 was                                            --          RAIN    364.7 mm

  *                     July/August/September 2007 was                                            --          RAIN    276.5 mm


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                               * 2014          To Date                   TEMP     10.37°c         --         RAIN    970.0 mm

                               * 2013  Jan - September                   TEMP'     8.96°c         --         RAIN    703.3 mm

                               * 2012  Jan - September                   TEMP'     9.25°c         --         RAIN    868.5 mm

                               * 2011  Jan - September                   TEMP'     9.62°c         --         RAIN    904.5 mm

                               * 2010  Jan - September                   TEMP'     8.74°c         --         RAIN    461.1 mm

                               * 2009  Jan - September                   TEMP'     9.77°c         --         RAIN    791.9 mm

                               * 2008  Jan - September                   TEMP'                    --         RAIN    985.7 mm