THERE can surely be no greater variation in a month from one year to the next as was shown by this July and the hot, dry, sunny one in 2006.

After the wettest June for more than 50 years over much of our region, July was widely the most sodden for two decades, though, in a few locations, those of 2002 and 2005 were wetter. There was about double the expected rainfall and almost three times in one or two spots.

The latter was the case here at Carlton, near Stokesley, where it was the wettest July in my 24-year record. The total just exceeded that in July 1988 when there was 136mm (5.4ins) of rain, whereas during last July, my second driest, there was a mere 20mm (0.8ins).

It had already rained virtually every day for nigh on 40 days before St Swithin's, so it looked very ominous when this, too, was very wet. It came as quite a relief when, after only another two weeks, there were three or four completely dry days at the end of the month. In fact, the final 11 were drier than usual but, in the six weeks before this, we had accumulated our quota for almost six months.

July was generally the first appreciably cooler than average month, by 0.5 to 1C (1-2F), since March 2006, though last August was marginally below par in parts. In the main, it was the coolest July since 2000, which was a good 1C (2F) colder.

But, what a difference compared to July 2006 again. Then, at Carlton, maxima were a staggering 6C (11F) hotter, though minima were less than 2C (3.5F) warmer. The highest temperature this time around was the lowest in any July in my data and did not even approach the mean for last July nor the peak in April of 24C (75F).

July was dull too, though not particularly so, with a little less sunshine than the norm but, once more, this was in stark contrast to the previous July.

The unseasonably unsettled spell, which plagued us in June, continued to afflict us during July. Low pressure dominated the scene as depressions, spawned in the Atlantic, repeatedly headed our way bringing periods of often heavy rain and between them, frequent beefy showers, some accompanied by hail and thunder.

As in June, the North-East largely avoided the widespread, long-lasting flooding that engulfed counties further south. Nevertheless, there were still some deluges that caused flash flooding locally on three or four days.

One such downpour, on the 3rd, developed from a line of minor showers as they trundled east towards the A19. They burst into life close to Crathorne but then, after fringing Stokesley, their intensity reduced dramatically, dying out as they crossed the Moors south of Guisborough.

As reported on the front page of the D&S Times on July 6, several villages experienced flooding, especially Hutton Rudby. Here at Carlton, with roads awash, the village was cut off by car for a few hours in the late afternoon. I have only known this happen once before, in early November 2000, in 24 years here. A total of 41mm (1.6ins) tumbled down, most in less than three hours.

July temperatures and rainfall at Carlton in Cleveland. - Mean max 19.2C, 66.5F (-1.3C, -2.3F); mean min 11.0C, 52F (-0.5C, -1F); highest max 22.0C, 71.5F, 31st; lowest min 5.5C, 42F, 10th; total rainfall 138mm, 5.4ins (+88mm, +3.5ins); wettest day 41mm, 1.6ins, 3rd; no of rain days, with 0.2mm (0.01ins) or more, 21 (+8).Figures in brackets show the difference from the 23-year mean, 1984-2006.