Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Thursday 2 August 2012

Loire weather May-July: 2012 compared to 2011


Yes it has been wet recently in 2012 – 450mm so far this year


Certainly 2012 is proving to be a decidedly challenging year weatherwise with frost, hail and plenty of rain making mildew a constant threat. The difficulties are borne out by the 2012 climate figures for May, June and July. These are from the weather station in Tours and taken from the very good Météo France site. These three months of 2012 are compared with those of 2011. Last year, although the latter part of June and July were disappointed after the very fine and hot start to the growing season were not as wet as 2012. The average temperatures in 2011 for May and June were considerably higher than this year, while July 2012 edged ahead of 2011. Both were well down on the average maximum temperature for July.

May
2012
Average max temperature:     20.2˚ C
Total sunshine hours for month:  238 
Total sunshine hours for year:  817
Rainfall in May                          78.1 mm
Total rainfall Jan-May               258 mm

2011
Average max temperature:     22.5˚ C
Total sunshine hours for month:  289
Total sunshine hours for year:  890
Rainfall in May                          14.9 mm
Total rainfall Jan-May               128 mm

Averages for May
(All averages based on 1971 - 2000, except hours of sunshine which are based on 1991 - 2000)

Average maximum temperature:   19.1˚C
Hours of sunshine:                      206
Rainfall:                                      62.3 mm
Average rainfall: Jan-May            290.4 mm


June
2012
Average max temperature:     22.0˚ C
Total sunshine hours for month: 183
Total sunshine hours Jan to June: 1000
Rainfall in June                         106.7 mm (15 days of rain - average of 7)
Total rainfall Jan-June               365 mm

2011
Average max temperature:     23.6˚C
Total sunshine hours for month:  227
Total sunshine hours Jan-June: 1118
Rainfall in June                          53.4 mm
Total rainfall Jan-June               181 mm

Averages for June
(All averages based on 1971 - 2000, except hours of sunshine which are based on 1991 - 2000)

Average maximum temperature:  22.8˚C
Hours of sunshine:                     228
Rainfall:                                      46.1 mm
Average rainfall Jan-June:           336.5 mm

Certainly 2012 was wet in June but not a wet as the record year of 1963 when 134.7 mm of rain fell on Tours.

July
2012
Average max temperature:     24.0˚ C
Total sunshine hours for month:208
Total sunshine hours Jan to June: 1208
Rainfall in July                          95.2 mm (21.4 on 14th July)
Total rainfall-July               459.9 mm

2011
Average max temperature:     23.6˚ C
Total sunshine hours for month: 218
Total sunshine hours Jan to June: 1335
Rainfall in July                          82.2 mm
Total rainfall Jan-July              313 mm

Averages for July
(All averages based on 1971 - 2000, except hours of sunshine which are based on 1991 - 2000)

Average maximum temperature:  25.5˚C
Hours of sunshine:                     239
Rainfall:                                      55.5 mm
Average rainfall Jan-July:           389.7 mm





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