Compared to the 1981 to 2010 average, July 2021 was warmer and wetter, both in terms of the number of days with rain and total rainfall for the month.

Despite a fine start, with high pressure over SW England, July soon turned unsettled as low pressure and associated weather fronts moved in from the Atlantic.

Later, on the 5th and through the 6th, a rather deep low moved east along the English Channel bringing the wettest day of the month for most of the district.

A brief ridge of higher pressure followed, although with a few showers in the northwest breeze. A rather weak weather system brought some further rain between the 10th and 12th.

A largely fine, warm and even hot spell followed between the 13th and 22nd as high pressure developed across the UK.

Temperatures rose steadily during this period reaching between 27 and 30 Celsius on the 21st.

The fine weather did not last as low pressure moved in from the Atlantic bringing rain at times from the 23rd.

On the night of the 29th into the 30th a storm, named Evert by the Met Office, moved close to the north coast of Cornwall and into the Bristol Channel.

This brought unseasonal gales to parts of SW England and a showery north-westerly to end the month.

Statistics

Rainfall for the month was around 90mm in the Dawlish and Teignmouth area, which was double the long term average (LTA). There were between 14 and 18 dry days (LTA 20 days), 13 days with rainfall of 1mm or more (LTA of 7 days) and there was between 2 and 4 days with 10mm or more of rain (LTA 1 or 2 days).

The average temperature for the month was 18 Celsius, slightly above the LTA of 17.3 Celsius. Lowest values were in the first week of the month, for most parts this occurred on the 5 or 6th with a low of 11 Celsius although some inland areas dipped to 9 Celsius. The highest values of between 27 and 31 Celsius were recorded on the 21st which was at the end of a week with afternoon temperatures of over 25 Celsius.

The sea temperature at the Dawlish Wave Buoy started the month at 16 Celsius and ended near 17 Celsius. Sea temperatures reached over 20 Celsius between the 16th and 27th when winds were light and the weather hot and sunny. The sea temperature reached an exceptionally warm 22 Celsius between the 18th and 22nd

Sunshine was estimated to be close to, or slightly below, the long term average of 225 hours.