Because we’ve had a cold winter and a cooler spring, lots have been caught by surprise that temperatures during the day and at night remain so low. But. It’s not unusual at this time of year though as people are lulled into a false sense of security about heat. Clocks go forward. Sunsets don’t happen until after 8pm and the whole of the UK expects to be in shorts and T shirts.

Summer though doesn’t officially start for 8 weeks at the time of writing this – 20th June to be precise and until then we’re locked in spring, with its varying degrees of coolness.

Clearly, our Loughborough snow clearance team haven’t been as busy this month as they were in January. There was snow around Easter, and though nighttime temperatures remain low, demand for our gritting expertise has inevitably lessened.

Now don’t get us wrong – we need a break and deserve a break after a solid 5 months of nocturnal work, but we would advise caution against thinking a heatwave is due any day soon.

It won’t happen. 

Only this week, we’ve had our team called out nightly as temperatures have dropped. Just because the days are longer, it doesn’t mean they’re warmer. We can warmly anticipate zero call outs in July and August, and probably few in June or September.

It is worth noting though that in the epochal heat of 1976, we had snow, in June of that year. That’s UK weather for you – full of surprises!

We do get autumn and winter ready though as duties ease, and we have a lot to prepare as Weatherwise Services had record months this year in both January and February.

Our team were at full tilt night after night and Tim and Andy are forever grateful to the men who work nightly, whilst others sleep, making premises, shops, schools, roads and paths safe for the next day.

So what will summer 2021 look like?

We’re hoping it will be hot. In fact, the Met Office are predicting higher than average temperatures this summer, as well as 17 global storms, 8 of which may well be hurricanes.

Temperatures in the UK have been rising in summer for some time now:

2020: 37.8C, 31st July, Heathrow, Middlesex

2019: 38.7C, 25th July, Cambridge Botanical Gardens

2018: 35.3C, 26th July, Fathersham, Kent

2017: 34,5C, 21st June, Heathrow, Middlesex

2016, 34.4C, 13th September, Gravesend, Kent (Note: This was in the meteorological autumn)

2015, 36.7, 1st July, Heathrow, Middlesex

It’s odd isn’t it that Heathrow features so prominently – when that place is where travellers head towards in search of overseas heat.

Perhaps we all need to book a summer holiday near Heathrow?