FEBRUARY WARMER, DRIER AND DULLER THAN AVERAGE. WINTER 2024/2025 WARMER AND DRIER THAN AVERAGE, WITH ABOUT AVERAGE SUNSHINE
Armagh Observatory studies that February 2025 at Armagh was hotter, drier, and duller than common. In a month largely dominated by higher-than-average atmospheric strain there have been no gales or named storms. The meteorological winter 2024/2025, that’s, the three months December 2024, and January and February 2025, was hotter and drier than common with about common sunshine.
The imply temperature this February was roughly 6.5 levels Celsius (43.6 Fahrenheit). This was 1.81 C hotter than the 225-year (1796-2020) long-term February common at Armagh (4.65 C) and 1.13 C hotter than the most up-to-date (1991-2020) 30-year common (5.33 C). This extends to seven years a pattern wherein every February at Armagh since 2019 has been hotter than common. Nonetheless, February 2025 was the best February at Armagh for 4 years, that’s, since February 2021 (common temperature 6.04 C).
Current 30-year common February temperatures present the identical common pattern. Over the past thirty years the 30-year common February temperatures have elevated at a price of roughly 0.36 C per decade. Folks with lawns are actually having to think about slicing their grass across the finish of February as an alternative of early to mid-March.
The best most air temperature, normally the warmest day, was 13.9 C on the afternoon of the twenty third, adopted by 13.5 C on the twentieth, and 13.3 C attributed to the nineteenth. The twenty third was the warmest February day at Armagh since a run of a number of a lot hotter days occurred throughout the interval twenty first to twenty seventh February 2019. The 6-day interval from the nineteenth to the twenty fourth of February 2025 was very delicate for February, with a mean each day most of 13.1 C, a lot hotter than the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common most for February at Armagh (8.6 C). Equally, the common each day minimal for a similar six days was 6.8 C in contrast with probably the most latest (1991-2020) 30-year common February minimal of two.0 C.
The bottom most air temperature, normally the coldest day, was 4.7 C on the thirteenth, adopted by 5.4 C on each the tenth and eleventh.
The best minimal temperature, normally the warmest night time, was 9.0 C. This was attributed to the twenty first, though the precise minimal occurred on the afternoon of the twentieth. This was adopted by 8.0 C on the 4th, and then by 6.9 C attributed to the 2nd, twentieth, and twenty third.
The three lowest minimal air temperatures, or coldest nights, this month had been -1.6 C on the sixth, adopted by -1.2 C shortly after the time of observations on the sixth however attributed to the seventh, after which by 0.5 C on the twenty seventh.
This month there have been 12 nights with floor frost, that’s, nights with minimal grass temperatures lower than or equal to zero Celsius. The three lowest of those had been -7.2 C on the seventh, -6.9 C on the sixth, and -5.3 C on the twenty eighth. There have been nominally two nights with air frost, the sixth and seventh, however each occurred across the time of observations on the sixth.
There was no sleet or snow this February, however a rainbow was noticed late afternoon on the twenty third. In contrast to January, this month was comparatively calm and dominated by excessive strain. There have been no named storms, though there have been robust winds approaching gale drive on the morning of the twenty third. The imply atmospheric strain, lowered to imply sea degree and noticed at roughly 09:00 GMT every day, was roughly 1017.7 mbar. This was 4.4 mbar greater than the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common February strain at Armagh, specifically 1013.4 mbar.
The best atmospheric strain this month was roughly 1044 mbar on the sixth. This was the fifth highest February strain at Armagh in a calibrated sequence beginning in 1850 and the very best February atmospheric strain at Armagh for 2 years, that’s, since practically 1047 mbar was recorded by the Automated Climate Station on the morning of fifth February 2023.
Rooks and gulls had been noticed mobbing a buzzard across the time of observations on the third and 18th.
Whole precipitation this February was a drier-than-average 42.1 mm together with two hint values, that’s, 42.0 mm if hint values are ignored. That is roughly 76% of the 183-year long-term (1838-2020) common February precipitation at Armagh (55.49 mm) and 71% of the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common (59.02 mm). The wettest days had been 7.2 mm on the twenty first, 7.0 mm on the third, and 5.9 mm on the twentieth.
With 56.0 hours of robust sunshine at Armagh, February 2025 was duller than common with roughly 86% of the 140-year (1881-2020) long-term common (65.4 hours) and 79% of the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common (70.9 hours).
Though February 2025 was not exceptionally boring, the month included an unusually lengthy sequence of ‘boring’ days, outlined as days with lower than 0.5 hours of robust sunshine. On this case, there have been 11 consecutive boring days, from the eighth to 18th, which collectively produced a complete of lower than 25 minutes of robust sunshine together with six consecutive days from the thirteenth to the 18th with no robust sunshine in any respect. This six-day interval was the primary steady sequence of six sunless February days at Armagh for 59 years, that’s, for the reason that seventh to the twelfth of February 1966. The sunniest day this month was the twenty eighth with 7.6 hours of robust sunshine, adopted by the sixth with 7.2 hours, and the fifth with 6.9 hours.
Taking the three months December 2024 and January and February 2025 collectively, the meteorological winter 2024/2025 was hotter and drier than common at Armagh and with about common sunshine.
The imply winter temperature was 6.02 C, roughly 1.54 C hotter than the 225-year (1796/1797-2020/2021) long-term winter common at Armagh (4.48 C) and 0.81 C hotter than the newest (1991/1992-2020/2021) 30-year common (5.21 C).
As with February, latest winters at Armagh have change into so much hotter than these a few years in the past. Over the past 30 years the 30-year common winter temperatures at Armagh have elevated at a price of roughly 0.29 C per decade.
With a complete of 129.6 mm of precipitation together with 18 hint values, winter 2024/2025 was a lot drier than common at Armagh. That is roughly 63% of the 183-year (1838/1839-2020/2021) long-term common at Armagh (207.0 mm) and 60% of the newest (1991/1992-2020/2021) 30-year common (215.7 mm). This was the driest winter at Armagh for eight years, that’s, since winter 2016/2017 (complete precipitation 127.35 mm together with 15 hint values), and the twelfth driest winter at Armagh since information of each day rainfall started in 1838.
Whole winter sunshine was 154.2 hours, roughly 3% greater than the 140-year long-term (1881/1882-2020/2021) winter common at Armagh (149.7 hours) and practically 5% lower than the newest (1991/1992-2020/2021) 30-year winter common (161.5 hours). Though this winter had about common sunshine, it was the dullest at Armagh for 3 years, that’s, since winter 2021/2022 (145.6 hours of robust sunshine).
These information consult with observations at Armagh Observatory, which has been recording the climate at Armagh since 1795.
For additional info, please contact:
Professor Mark E. Bailey
Emeritus Director of Armagh Observatory
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
School Hill
Armagh
BT61 9DG
Tel: 028-3752-2928
E-mail: mark.bailey@armagh.ac.uk
