AUGUST DRIER AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE WITH ROUGHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE. SUMMER 2024 COOLEST AT ARMAGH FOR NINE YEARS, DRIER AND SLIGHTLY DULLER THAN AVERAGE

Armagh Observatory studies that August 2024 was drier and sunnier than common with roughly common temperature for August.  Taking June, July and August collectively, the meteorological summer time was cooler, drier, and barely duller than common.

With a mean temperature of 15.46 levels Celsius (59.8 Fahrenheit) August 2024 was 0.83 C hotter than the (1796-2020) 225-year long-term common August temperature at Armagh (14.63 C) and roughly 0.03 C cooler than the newest (1991-2020) 30-year August common (15.48 C).  This was the best August at Armagh for six years, that’s, since a mean temperature of 15.38 C was discovered for August 2018.

The very best most temperature, or warmest day, was an unremarkable 22.8 C on the eleventh, adopted by 22.3 C on the first, and 21.6 C on the tenth.  The warmest day this August was cooler than the warmest day of July (24.3 C on the nineteenth of July) and cooler additionally than the warmest day of June (24.8 C on the twenty fourth of June).  Unusually for a date so early in the yr (and as occurred final yr) the twenty fourth of June 2024 has remained the most well liked day of the yr.

The bottom most temperature, often the best day, was 15.6 C on the twentieth adopted by 16.2 C on the twenty fifth and 16.3 C on the twenty second.  The highest minimal temperature, often the warmest evening, was 16.2 C on the 2nd, adopted by 15.4 C on the twelfth and 15.3 C on the thirteenth.  The lowest minimal temperature, often the best evening, was 5.1 C on the thirty first, adopted by 7.1 C on the thirtieth and eight.2 C on the 14th.

The bottom grass-minimum temperature was -0.9 C on the thirty first, adopted by 0.0 C on the thirtieth and 1.3 C on the 14th.  There have been subsequently two floor frosts this month, that’s, with grass-minimum temperatures much less than or equal to zero Celsius.

August was largely dominated by comparatively low atmospheric stress (for August).  The imply month-to-month stress decreased to imply sea stage was roughly 1009 mbar, in comparison with the 170-year (1851–2020) long-term August common of 1014 mbar.  This was the bottom common atmospheric stress for August at Armagh for 16 years, that’s, since August 2008 (1007 mbar).  The very best each day stress noticed at 09:00 GMT was roughly 1025 mbar on the thirty first and the bottom was 999 mbar on the twothird, related to the passage of Storm Lillian.

Whole August precipitation was 64.4 mm (2.54 inches) together with six hint values, that’s, 64.1 mm if hint values are ignored.  That is 78% of the 183-year long-term (1838-2020) common August precipitation at Armagh (82.35 mm) and practically 82% of the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common (78.62 mm).  This August was subsequently drier than common, the driest August at Armagh for 2 years, that’s, because the exceptionally dry August 2022 (24.9 mm together with two hint values).  There have been no very moist days this month however 19 days with measurable precipitation larger than or equal to 0.2 mm.

The wettest day was the twenty second, with 13.7 mm (0.54 inches) of precipitation, adopted by the eighth with 9.6 mm, and the 14th with 5.8 mm.  The excessive rainfall on the twenty second was related to the passage of Storm Lillian, the 14th and last-named storm to have affected Northern Eire to a larger or lesser extent in the course of the 2023/2024 storm season, and the twelfth to have been named by Met Eireann, the UK Meteorological Workplace, and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI).

Thunder was heard throughout early morning of the eleventh.  Though heavy showers and a powerful double rainbow with supernumerary bows beneath was reported from close to Ballygawley, Co. Tyrone, round 17:25 GMT on the twenty eighth, no rainbows have been recorded as being seen from Armagh this month.

Perseid meteors have been seen from close to the Observatory on the night of the twelfth, the utmost of the annual Perseid meteor bathe related with particles from Comet Swift-Tuttle.  An aurora was additionally seen that night round 22:30 GMT.

A speckled brown butterfly was seen close to the climate station on the morning of the sixth.  At about the identical time, a gull was seen chasing off a buzzard.  Equally, a crow was seen chasing a kestrel on the morning of the sixteenth.  Rooks have been spooked by a heron flying overhead on the morning of the twenty fourth.  A homicide of two to 3 hundred crows have been seen swirling above the Observatory grounds on the night of the twenty sixth.

There have been 160.7 hours of robust sunshine this August, roughly 21% greater than the 140-year (1881-2020) long-term August common variety of hours of robust sunshine at Armagh (133.1 hours) and 14% greater than the most up-to-date (1991-2020) 30-year common (140.6 hours).  This August was subsequently sunnier than common at Armagh.  The three sunniest days have been 11.3 hours on the seventeenth, adopted by 9.6 hours on the eighth and eight.7 hours on the eleventh.

Taking the three months June, July and August collectively, the meteorological summer time was cooler than common, the best summer time at Armagh for 9 years, and drier and duller than common.

The imply summer time temperature was 14.69 C (58.4 F), roughly 0.37 C hotter than the 225-year (1796-2020) long-term common summer time temperature at Armagh (14.32 C) and 0.41 C cooler than the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common (15.10 C).  This summer time had the identical common temperature as that usually skilled at Armagh roughly 50 years in the past, when the (1961-1990) 30-year common summer time temperature at Armagh was 14.56 C. This yr, the three warmest summer time days at Armagh have been 24.8 C (twenty fourth June), 24.3 C (nineteenth July), and 22.8 C (eleventh August).

Every of the three summer time months have been drier than common, so summer time 2024 at Armagh, with a complete precipitation of 151.55 mm together with 15 hint values, was additionally drier than common.  This was the driest summer time at Armagh for 2 years, that’s, because the very dry summer time 2022 (104.2 mm).  Regardless of this, there have been no very popular days, nor lengthy dry spells.  Each day rainfall totals larger than or equal to 0.2 mm occurred on 53 of the 92 attainable summer time days.

Whereas June and July have been duller than common, August was sunnier.  The three months collectively gave a complete of 402.7 hours of robust sunshine, roughly 94% of the 140-year (1881-1990) long-term common at Armagh and 96% of the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common.  This was the dullest summer time at Armagh for 4 years, that’s, since summer time 2020 (294.1 hours of robust sunshine). 

In abstract, it was in all probability the frequency of sunshine rainfall this summer time mixed with lower-than-average summer time temperatures and the shortage of robust sunshine that collectively have led to the often-expressed opinion that 2024 was a typically poor summer time.

These information discuss with observations at Armagh Observatory, which has been recording the climate since 1795.