Brrrrr! June colder than May in Armagh for first time in 176 years

The month of June was officially colder than May in Armagh for the first time in 176 years.

Armagh Observatory has reported June 2024 to be the coolest and driest June at Armagh for nine years, that is, since June 2015.

Very unusually the monthly average temperature was less than the preceding May, the first time this has happened at Armagh for 176 years.

With just 125.5 hours of strong sunshine, it was also duller than average.

The average temperature was 13.43 degrees Celsius, 3.9C lower than last year’s record-breaking June 2023 (17.35 C) and nearly 0.45C cooler than last month’s record-breaking May 2024 (13.9 C).

The last time June was cooler on average than May at Armagh was 1848, when May’s average temperature was 13.2 C and June’s was 13.0 C.

This month the mean June temperature (13.43C) was the same as the 225-year long-term (1796-2020) June average at Armagh, but 0.6 C cooler than the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year average (14.0 C). This was the coolest June at Armagh since June 2015 (13.3 C).

The averages of the daily maximum and minimum temperatures were also lower than the corresponding monthly means.

The mean daily maximum temperature, namely 17.6 C, was the lowest at Armagh for 12 years and approximately 0.7 C lower than the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year average (18.3 C).

Only 12 days achieved higher-than-average temperature maxima whereas last year, June 2023, every day fell into that category.

Similarly, the mean daily minimum temperature (9.3 C) was the lowest at Armagh for nine years and approximately 0.6 C cooler than the corresponding most recent (1991-2020) 30-year average (9.9C).

There were no exceptionally warm days, the three highest temperature maxima being the 24th (24.8 C), the 23rd (22.0 C), and the 26th (21.5C).

The 24th is now the warmest day of the year, that is, after the 10th of May (22.9 C). Considering the predicted run of temperatures into July it seems likely that this record will remain until at least the third week of July.

The three coolest days this month, that is, the three lowest daily maxima, were the 9th (13.6 C), the 11th (14.0 C), and the 27th (14.5 C).

Each of these were approximately four (or more) degrees Celsius below the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year average (18.3 C).

Despite the month being relatively cloudy, the nights too were relatively cool. The three warmest nights (highest daily temperature minima) were the 24th (13.8 C), the 21st (13.4 C), and the 25th (13.2
C). The three coolest nights (lowest daily temperature minima) were the 10th and 19th (both 5.0 C) and the 5th (5.4 C).

There were three nights with ground frost, that is, nights with grass-minimum temperatures less than or equal to zero Celsius. These were -2.3 C, -1.7 C and -0.2 C on the 19th, 10th and 16th respectively.
There were no night-time air frosts.

Thunder was heard on the morning of the 8th, and rainbows were seen on the 14th, 15th, and 21st. Two adult hooded crows were seen chasing off a buzzard on the morning of the 29th.

Total precipitation was 38.0 mm including two trace values, that is, 37.9 mm if trace values are ignored. This is approximately 59.7% of the 183-year long-term (1838-2020) June precipitation at Armagh (63.7 mm) and 60.4% of the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year June average (62.9 mm).

The month was the driest June at Armagh for nine years, that is, since 29.45 mm of precipitation including three trace values was recorded in June 2015. The wettest day was the 9th with 9.6 mm of rainfall, followed by the 15th with 7.3 mm and the 13th with 6.1 mm.

June 2024 was rather duller than average, recording just 125.5 hours of strong sunshine. This is approximately 79% of the 140-year long-term (1881-2020) average at Armagh (159.7 hours) and 87% of the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year average (144.6 hours). This was the dullest June at Armagh for four years, that is, since the exceptionally dull June 2020 (90.4 hours of strong sunshine). The sunniest day was the 19th with 11.7 hours of strong sunshine, followed by the 8th (11.6 hours) and the 1st (9.3 hours).

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

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