Last July opened with the hottest July day in UK weather history with Heathrow setting a new benchmark of 36.7C surpassing that of Northolt’s 36.5C set back in 2006. Up here in Scotland, Aviemore and Kinloss topped a Med-like 29C.

This was the scene from Loch Morlich overlooking the Cairngorms on a hot July 1st last year. Note the patches of snow still on Cairngorm left, Braeriach right

This July 1st? With a parade of rain bearing weather fronts streaming in off the Atlantic, we may struggle to get much above 18C at Heathrow, 10-12C in Aviemore and there’s sleet expected on top of nearby Cairn Gorm while heavy SNOW is forecasted on top of Ben Nevis with a wind chill of -6C.

It can snow any month of the year in the highest Scottish Mountains…

This was June 1st last year in the Nevis Range!

Ben Nevis

Carn Mor Dearg

Aonach Mor

It snowed on Ben Nevis July 25, 2015

Here’s the deep trough which sweeps across the Northern UK to open July 2016.

GFS surface

Temps firmly below normal beneath the cloud, rain and cool westerly breeze.

Friday’s highs according to ECMWF, not a patch on a year ago.

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Rather than seeing the warmest first 5-7 days of July like last year, we’ll see a distinctly cool start this year.

If you recall back to mid and late July last year, after seeing hot weather to start, we endured a spell of unseasonably cool weather with record cold July maximums being challenged. Given the projected July pattern, we could see similar this July.

See this morning’s video.

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