This winter has been the driest in Armagh for more than half a century.
Armagh Observatory reports that February 2017 was warmer, duller and drier than average, the warmest, dullest and driest February for five years, that is, since February 2012.
Taking the three meteorological winter months as a whole, that is, December 2016 and January and February 2017, winter 2016/2017 has been very dry, and also dull and mild.
Coming after a very dry autumn, these three winter months have been the driest at Armagh for 53 years, that is, since winter 1963/1964.
Despite a wet end to the month, this month was the driest February at Armagh for five years, that is, since February 2012.
Some snowflakes were noticed on the 10th, and a rainbow on the 28th. The wettest day was the 26th, with 16.4 mm of rainfall, followed by the 28th with 6.9 mm.
The average monthly temperature was approximately six degrees Celsius (42.8 degrees Fahrenheit), 1.4 C warmer than the long-term (1796-2010) average February temperature at Armagh and 1.1 C warmer than the most recent (1981-2010) 30-year average.
This was also the warmest February at Armagh for five years.
The warmest day (highest maximum air temperature) was 12.6 C, which occurred on the 25th.
These data refer to observations at Armagh Observatory, which has been recording the weather at Armagh since 1795.
