Driest June for nine years, cooler and sunnier than average

Armagh Observatory, 3 July 2015. Armagh Observatory reports that June 2015 was the driest June at Armagh for nine years, that is since 2006, with a total precipitation of just 29.45 mm (1.16 inches), including three trace values. It was also cooler and sunnier than average.

Total precipitation was approximately 50% of the most recent (1981тАУ2010) 30-year average June rainfall at Armagh. The wettest day was the 1st, with a total of 5.8 mm of rain, and there were eleven days with no precipitation at all.

The mean monthly temperature was 13.3 degrees Celsius, approximately 0.1 degrees Celsius cooler than the long-term (1796тАУ2010) average June temperature at Armagh and 0.55 degrees C cooler than the most recent (1981тАУ2010) 30-year average June temperature at Armagh. The warmest day (highest maximum air temperature) was 25.0 degrees C on the 30th.

There were several very cold nights, notably those of the 8th/9th and 7th/8th June for which the minimum recorded nighttime air temperatures were 2.6 C and 3.6 C respectively. The 8th/9th June was the coldest June night at Armagh since the very cold 5th June 1991 (minimum air temperature 1.5 C). There were also several sharp ground frosts, notably those recorded on the 8th, 9th and 10th June, with a minimum recorded grass temperature of -3.5 C, -3.0 C and -1.9 C respectively. Taking the month as a whole there were seven ground frosts, but no air frosts.

There were approximately 183.0 hours of strong sunshine, which is 5% more than the long-term (1881тАУ2010) 30-year average for June and nearly 27% more than the most recent (1981тАУ2010) average June sunshine at Armagh. The sunniest day was the 10th, with a total of 15.5 hours of strong sunshine.

These data refer to observations at Armagh Observatory, which has been recording the weather at Armagh since 1795.

For further information please contact: Mark Bailey at the Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG. Tel.: 028-3752-2928; FAX: 028-3752-7174; mebarm.ac.uk; URL: climate.arm.ac.uk

Last Revised: 2015 July 3rd