June

Formal weather records show that June was generally a very warm month and sometimes exceptionally hot as in 1846. 1976 was a ‘drought year’, when June was extremely hot and dry. Consistently high temperatures of between 30° and 34° were recorded in the weather books for Weston Park between 24 June and 7 July in that year.  However there is also plenty of evidence from the past of cold and rainy midsummer days, very cold nights and much rain, to the extent that planting of autumn crops such as potatoes could be delayed. 
 
Records from the past also suggest that June could be a very unsettled and volatile month in terms of its weather. Thunderstorms, some very damaging such as the one in 1729, were common, although the level of damage is perhaps less surprising in the days before the installation of lightning conductors on tall buildings. Hailstorms were also not uncommon, often causing damage to growing crops as in 1715.
 
The extracts are arranged chronologically by the day to show the progression of weather through the month.

Drought at Teddesley, 1st June 1844

A Roasting Hot June, 1-18 June 1846

Torrential Rain Blocks Field Drains at Spotacre, 5-6 June, 1931

Frost Kills Bracken at Weston, 9 June 1911

Lightning Damages Penkridge Church, 10 June 1729

Wet Clogs and Feet at Swythamley, 13 June 1919

Wet Weather Delays Potato Planting at Spotacre, 13-14 June 1924

Hot Weather and Bilberry Picking at Freehay, 15 June 1868

Massive Hailstones Hit Ettingshall, 20 June 1715

Thunderstorm Fails to Alleviate Drought at Chillington, 20 June 1893

A Stormy Midsummer Day at Longnor, 24-25 June 1909

Heavy Midsummer Rain in Huntington, 24-25 June 1909

Mighty Thunderstorm Kills Father and Son at Alrewas, 26 June 1613

Great Heat at Weston Park, 27-30 June 1914

An Unseasonal June in the Staffordshire Moorlands, 1879

Drought Slows Turnip Growth at Trentham, 1833

Drought, Heat, Hail, and Rain in South Staffordshire, 1737 and 1738

Drought at Teddesley, 1st June 1844

From the Diaries of Lord Hatherton, Teddesley Park, near Penkridge
 
It has not rained now with the exception of one slight shower, for two months. During part of this time, there has been a lot of hot sun, and an unwavering east or north east wind. No grass except on the meadows and then but very little.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D260/M/F/5/26/29
By courtesy of Mr ARW Littleton
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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A Roasting Hot June, 1-18 June 1846

From the Diary of Jacob Marsh, Farmer, of Bank Hall, Burslem

The following extracts show this to have been an exceptionally hot June, although the temperatures claimed on 3 June may be exaggerated.  The hot weather continued until 25 June when the weather broke.
 
1 June- June comes in with a hot dry day. Newcastle fair.
3 June- Hotter still & very dry. Windows & doors all open. Heat in the sun 120 degrees. 76 degrees in the shade.
4 June- Another smoaking day
5 June- Smoaking day again
6 June- Hot and dry as ever
7 June- Hot as ever- no going to Church this morning- a good shower at night.
15 June- Uncommon hot ground
17 June Hotter and dryer than ever, no going out of doors- with me my legs will not walk
18 June- Still hotter uncommon, almost roasting alive
 
 
Reference: Stoke on Trent City Archives SD 1465
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Torrential Rain Blocks Field Drains at Spotacre, 5-6 June, 1931

From the Daily Journals of the Spotacre Nursery
 
June 5 Friday - A very cold East wind blowing all day turned rainy about 4 o’clock almost a gale, looks very much like unsettled weather…. Ground is wet again tonight (& bitterly cold) It has turned out a miserable cold wet night, almost like snow fell.
 
Saturday June 6 - A terribly wet night & continued raining until 11 o’clock but not quite so heavy. Ellis & I have just been to first Black Lake field to look at Pattison trying to open drain in Rye field …as it is pounding from the small Pit by Hedge side & drowning a lot of stuff just ploughed in…. It turned out a wet afternoon, hail and thunder about 4– 30pm poured in torrents
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office 6168/1/2
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Frost Kills Bracken at Weston, 9 June 1911

From the Weather Books of the Weston Park Estate
 

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Lightning Damages Penkridge Church, 10 June 1729

From the Parish Register St Leonard’s Church, Bilston
 
Yesterday morning We had very great Thunder-clapps & very much Lightning & Rain which God be Thanked did no Damage hereabout, But tis said that it Shatter’d the Spire of St Martin’s Church Steeple, Birmingham pretty much & that it Struck One of the Pinacles off Penkridge Church, breaking it into innumerable Shivers.
 
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D667/3/2
By courtesy of the Vicar and PCC of Bilston, St Leonard
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Wet Clogs and Feet at Swythamley, 13 June 1919

From the Log Book of Swythamley Church of England School

At this time children simply would not have had any other footwear to change into on arrival at school. 
 
13 June - Very wet morning, seven children arrived at school wet through, and were sent home again; sixteen others also came- all had wet feet, stockings and clogs and shoes were dried and these were kept. Assistant was also wet through and returned home.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office: D3658/1
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Wet Weather Delays Potato Planting at Spotacre, 13-14 June 1924

From the Journal of Spotacre Nursery near Stone
 
13 June
A great change in weather very cold north wind first thing, strongish wind drying & strong & lighter today no rain today. Sent 4,000 plants away passenger Train…. it’s very wet indeed, it’s been too wet to plough
 
14 June 1924
Very sharp frost first thing Wind due east a great change in weather turned out quite hot & very little cloud…. Planted … ridges of King George Potatoes, it is very late but could not get on ground
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office: 6168/1/1
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Hot Weather and Bilberry Picking at Freehay, 15 June 1868

From the Log Book for Freehay National School
 
15 June- Attendance 89 on account of the intense heat and very dry weather, the bilberries have began to show themselves sooner than usual and the consequence is that the School has been emptied of its numbers since the previous Monday.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office: D3656/1
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Massive Hailstones Hit Ettingshall, 20 June 1715

From the Parish Register St Leonard’s Church, Bilston
 
Being Monday between the Houres of 3 & 5 in the Afternoon very great Quantities of Hail & rain (accompanied with Lightning & great Thunder-Claps) fell in and about Ettingshall in Sedgley parish and within the Liberty or Constablewick of Bilston. The Hail-Stones were of Unusuall Biggness it was said that som of them were Seven Inches about. As to my own particular I measured Several. Some of which were 2 or 3 Inches about & one I measured was Five Inches in Compass. The Hail-Stones were of the Consistence of Ice, & in the places above – mentioned tis not doubted but that to Corn & other Tillage it did Damage to the value of Five hundred poundes & such prodigious Quantity of Water was in the Streets that the Oldest man Living never saw the Like. Damage also was done in some Neighbouring places but the Storme did not Extend very far.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D667/3/1
By courtesy of the Vicar and PCC of Bilston, St Leonard
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Thunderstorm Fails to Alleviate Drought at Chillington, 20 June 1893

From a letter written by Henry Duncalf land agent to Mr Giffard of Chillington
 
We had a severe thunder storm on Wednesday- It was somewhat local and at Penkridge and Stafford there was no rain……. We have had it fearfully hot here & things are getting burnt up as the storm did not help very much. The Agricultural look is undoubtedly a serious one
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D5827/2/6/123
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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A Stormy Midsummer Day at Longnor, 24-25 June 1909

Extract from a Local Farmer’s Diary

This extract uses some dialect words.
 
24 Thursday- A Very Stormy day thunder and Lightning heavy Showers. Will Guttering in Middle Ground and Shifting Stone in old Lane. Mr JR Hall and I went to Newtown to a Meeting of managers, the Rev J Arthur Price was made correspondent for Newtown School.
 
25 Friday- A Thourouh wet miserable day. Will cleaning Harnes. I made a Nog for cart Nath. Will went to Mr J Gees for Flour & cutting Sticks for Fire Lighting. Post called With paper. We put a cow in Shippon Not Very well got a cold Weather so very searching.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D6794
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Heavy Midsummer Rain in Huntington, 24-25 June 1909

24 June - Owing to inclement weather, those children who live at long distances from School and have not good footgear, were unable to be present, consequently only 94  present
 
25 June - Weather even worse than yesterday- only 87 present. Obliged to send children home at Dinnertime for remainder of day.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office CEL/23/1
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Mighty Thunderstorm Kills Father and Son at Alrewas, 26 June 1613

From the Parish Register for Alrewas

Many of the words in the following graphic account have been spelt phonetically, so if the meaning of the word in unclear, try saying it aloud.
 
Robart Nevoll the father and Robart Nevoll his Sonne being in Salterholme feild the xxvith daye of June, 1613 tending of the Towne Beasts in the hardmas [herdsmen’s] Walke their after Stony Furlonge side, aboute iiii of the Cloke in the after noone of the same daye their was A mightie great Tempest of Rayne Lyghtning and Thunder, and the father and Sonne standing under an Oke Tree to save them selves from the Rayne Weare both of them stricken to death, the Barke of the Oke tree Rent a great Length, the Leaves of the tree smitten and Blowen away the most parte of them, One other younge youth of ?Ten years old Thomas Frauncis being their to feare or helpe the hardmen [herdsmen] being within the Compasse of Tenne yeardes of the same place was saved and nothing hurte as the others the heares of ther head singed with the Lightning and in some parte of the Body [and] face Blackned.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D783/1/1
By courtesy of the Vicar and PCC of All Saints Alrewas© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Great Heat at Weston Park, 27-30 June 1914

From the Weather Books of the Weston Park Estate

The summer of 1914 prior to the outbreak of the First World War was notable for its heat.
 

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An Unseasonal June in the Staffordshire Moorlands, 1879

Extract from published observations on the summer of 1879 in the vicinity of the Staffordshire Moorland and Churnet Valley

The following extract is from a detailed meteorological observation of the climatology of the Churnet Valley in the year 1879 with particular reference to the summer months which were remarkably unseasonal in this particular year.
 
 
June was really a spring month. The hawthorn, so well known as the ‘May’, was not in flower in the lower moorlands till the end of the month, and in the neighbourhood of the Weaver hills it was much later.
 
Temperature (shade) Maximum 5th or 17th June 65.5; minimum, 5th June, 38.0; monthly range 27.3.
Rain from 1st June 9am to 1st July 9am, 6.423 inch or 648¼ tons to the acre.
 
Reference: William Salt Library On the summer of 1879 in the vicinity of the Staffs Moorlands and Churnet Basin by Clement L Wragge
© William Salt Library

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Drought Slows Turnip Growth at Trentham, 1833

From the Trentham Farm Bailiff’s Report
 
The turnips sown last month have grown slowly partly owing to the want of rain & partly being injured by the fly. Since the rain came they are doing better, the potato crop is looking well and very promising.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D593/L/6/2/15
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Drought, Heat, Hail, and Rain in South Staffordshire, 1737 and 1738.

From the Diary of Dr Richard Wilkes of Willenhall
 
June 1737
 
About the middle of the Month & on the 17th we had some Storms with Hail, but no Rain to soften the Earth, which was now exceeding dry  & the three or 4 last Days of it the Weather was extremely hot, the Air clear and the Glass high. The Wind was in all Points this Month but when the showers fell it was in the South and N West.
 
June 1738
 
Till Midsummer Day we had very rainy, stormy Weather, hardly 2 Days having been fair together, but since then it has been dry for 4 Days.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office 5350
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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