Warmer month

TEMPERATURES were two degrees above the average in July, the mean maximum and minimum being 25.5C and 13.4C respectively. The highest reading in Shiplake was 33.7C and the lowest was 6.2C. Surprisingly, Reading University recorded a grass frost on this night.

There was a clear north/south divide in rainfall figures. A reader in Henley recorded 59.5mm for the month, while Shiplake had 40mm, barely enough to fill the water butts. The lawns are recovering — they always do — but the flowers still need plenty of water. My thanks to Denis Gilbert, from Shiplake, for the statistics.