FEBRUARY WARMER, SUNNIER AND SLIGHTLY WETTER THAN AVERAGE. WINTER 2023/2024 WARMER, SUNNIER AND SLIGHTLY DRIER THAN AVERAGE
Armagh Observatory studies that February 2024 was hotter than common, sunnier, and barely wetter than common. Regardless of the month having decrease than common atmospheric strain there have been no gales or named storms. The meteorological winter 2023/2024, that’s, the three months December 2023, and January and February 2024, was a lot hotter, sunnier, and barely drier than common.
The typical temperature was a light 7.30 levels Celsius (45.1 Fahrenheit). This was 2.65 C hotter than the 225-year (1796–2020) long-term February common at Armagh (4.65 C) and 1.97 C hotter than the newest (1991–2020) 30-year common (5.33 C). This extends to 6 years the statement that each February at Armagh since 2019 has been hotter than common. February 2024 was additionally the equal fifth warmest February on report at Armagh, the half-dozen warmest Februarys now being these of 1998 (8.3 C), 1945 (7.7 C), 1961 (7.5 C), 2023 (7.4 C), and 2019 and 2024 (each 7.3 C).
The usual 30-year February common temperatures at Armagh present an analogous pattern. The rise from the (1961–1990) 30-year February common (4.25 C) to the newest (1991–2020) instance (5.33 C) means that common February temperatures have elevated during the last 30 years by roughly 0.36 C per decade.
The best most air temperature, which is often the warmest day, was 13.8 C on the afternoon of the twentieth, adopted by 13.7 C on each the 18th and twenty first. The bottom most air temperature was 4.1 C conventionally attributed to the eighth though this most occurred shortly after the meteorological readings had been taken at 09:00 GMT on the seventh. The second and third lowest most air temperatures had been 5.5 C and 6.9 C on the afternoons of the ninth and seventh.
The typical most temperature was 10.5 C, putting February 2024 equal fourth within the listing of highest common most February temperatures at Armagh. Equally, the common minimal temperature was 4.1 C, the very best such worth for February at Armagh for 12 years, that’s, since February 2012 (imply each day minimal 4.3 C). The best minimal air temperature, loosely the warmest evening, was a balmy 9.7 C attributed to each the fifth and the 18th, though within the latter case the minimal occurred shortly after the time of observations at 09:00 GMT on the seventeenth. Equally, the third warmest evening (9.1 C) conventionally attributed to the seventeenth occurred throughout the night of the sixteenth. At Armagh, the bottom temperature achieved throughout any given meteorological day in February, that’s, the 24-hour interval starting at 09:00 GMT, happens after 09:00GMT and earlier than midnight roughly 40% of the time, moderately than, as would usually be anticipated, virtually solely within the small hours after midnight and earlier than 09:00 GMT.
The three coolest nights, or lowest minimal air temperatures, this month had been 0.0 C on the twenty fifth, adopted by 0.1 C on the twenty sixth and 0.4 C on the seventh. In contrast with earlier years it has now turn into frequent for February at Armagh to have only one (as this 12 months) or no days of air frost, that’s, nights with minimal air temperatures lower than or equal to zero levels Celsius. There have been, nevertheless, 19 nights with floor frost, that are nights with minimal grass temperatures lower than or equal to zero Celsius. The three lowest of those had been -6.1 C on the twenty sixth, -4.9 C on the seventh, and -4.3 C on the thirteenth. Showers of sleet and snow had been noticed on the eighth, though with no snow mendacity, and partial rainbows had been seen on the early afternoon of the 2nd and round noon on the fifteenth. Not like earlier months February 2024 was a comparatively calm month with no named storms.
Whole precipitation this month was 60.1 mm (2.37 inches) together with 6 hint values, that’s, 59.8 mm if hint values are ignored. That is roughly 8% greater than the 183-year long-term (1838–2020) common February precipitation at Armagh (55.49 mm) and a pair of% greater than the newest (1991–2020) 30-year common (59.02 mm). There have been 17 rain days this month, that’s, days with complete precipitation better than or equal to 0.2 mm, the wettest of which was the eighth with 13.7 mm, adopted by the thirteenth and twenty first, each with 6.6 mm. With 72.5 hours of robust sunshine, February 2024 was sunnier than common at Armagh, recording practically 11% extra hours of robust sunshine than the 140-year (1881–2020) longterm common (65.4 hours) and roughly 2% greater than the newest (1991–2020) 30-year common (70.9 hours). This was the sunniest February at Armagh for 4 years, that’s, since February 2020 (83.7 hours of robust sunshine). The sunniest day was the twenty fourth with 8.5 hours of robust sunshine, adopted by the twenty sixth and twenty second with 7.4 and seven.3 hours respectively.
Taking the three months December 2023, and January and February 2024 collectively, the meteorological winter 2023/2024 at Armagh was hotter, sunnier, and barely drier than common. The typical winter temperature was 6.45 C. This was the warmest winter at Armagh for 2 years, that’s, for the reason that barely hotter winter 2021/2022 (6.46 C), and the seventh warmest winter at Armagh since temperature data started at Armagh in December 1794. This winter was practically 2.0 C hotter than the 225-year (1796/1797–2020/2021) long-term winter common at Armagh (4.48 C) and roughly 1.2 C hotter than the newest
(1991/1992–2020/2021) 30-year common (5.21 C).
Whole winter sunshine was 171.3 hours, roughly 14% greater than the 140-year longterm (1881/1882–2020/2021) winter common at Armagh (149.7 hours) and 6.1% greater than the newest (1991/1992–2020/2021) 30-year winter common (161.5 hours). This was the sunniest winter at Armagh for 4 years, that’s, since winter 2019/2020 (177.5 hours of robust sunshine).
With a complete of 201.6 mm of precipitation together with 18 hint values, winter 2023/2024 at Armagh was barely drier than common, roughly 97.4% of the 183-year (1838/1839–2020/2021) long-term common at Armagh (207.0 mm) and 93.5% of the newest (1991/1992–2020/2021) 30-year common (215.7 mm).
The small distinction between the 183-year long-term winter precipitation at Armagh and the newest 30-year common is as a result of winters at Armagh had been barely drier throughout the second half of the nineteenth century than they’re now. There is no such thing as a robust proof that winters at Armagh are any wetter on common these days than they’ve been all through the final roughly 120 years.
These information discuss with observations at Armagh Observatory, which has been recording the climate at Armagh since 1795
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Mark Bailey on the
Armagh Observatory, School Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG. Tel.: 028-3752-
2928; mark.bailey@armagh.ac.uk; URL:
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