RECORD-BREAKING APRIL MUCH WARMER, MUCH SUNNIER, AND WETTER THAN AVERAGE
Armagh Observatory, tenth Could 2025: Armagh Observatory stories that April 2025 was a record-breaking month, a lot hotter, a lot sunnier, and wetter than common. It was the third warmest April on document at Armagh, the third sunniest, and the wettest at Armagh for seven years.
Regardless of higher-than-average precipitation, the month was largely dry with simply seven rain days, that’s, days with precipitation better than or equal to 0.2 mm, and greater than three-quarters of the month’s complete precipitation fell throughout simply three days. The imply temperature was 10.75 levels Celsius, roughly 2.8 C hotter than the 225-year long-term (1796-2020) April common at Armagh (7.92 C), and almost 2.0 C hotter than the latest (1991-2020) 30-year common (8.80 C). This was the warmest April at Armagh for 14 years, that’s, because the exceptionally heat April 2011 (11.75 C). The 5 warmest Aprils at Armagh at the moment are April 2011 (11.75 C), April 2007 (11.25 C), April 2025 (10.75 C), April 2014 (10.48 C), and April 2020 (10.20), tied with April 1944.
Each day most temperatures have been additionally comparatively excessive, partly owing to the month’s uncommon quantity of sturdy sunshine. The imply of the every day temperature maxima (16.0 C) was the third highest such common on document and the best for 14 years, that’s, because the record-breaking April 2011 (16.6 C). This 12 months’s determine was roughly 3.0 C better than the latest (1991-2020) 30-year such common for April at Armagh (13.0 C). The three years with highest common most temperatures throughout April at Armagh at the moment are 2011 (16.6 C), 2007 (16.4 C), and 2025 (16.0 C).
Conversely, the typical of the every day temperature minima, roughly 5.5 C, was solely 0.8 C hotter than the latest (1991-2020) 30-year common (roughly 4.6 C) and the fifteenth warmest such common on document at Armagh. This illustrates the impact of comparatively clear skies presently of 12 months: a lot higher-than-average daytime temperatures however comparatively cool nights.
The very best most air temperature, that’s, the warmest day, was 23.4 C on the thirtieth, adopted by 21.8 C on the tenth and 21.7 C on the eleventh. The thirtieth was the warmest April day on document at Armagh, that’s, in a every day temperature collection starting in December 1794. It was additionally the warmest day of the 12 months as much as the top of April and doubtless early to mid-Could as effectively.
The exceptionally heat thirtieth April surpassed the earlier document, particularly 22.6 C on each 25 April 1975 and 26 April 1987, by 0.8 C. The next fourth and fifth warmest April days at Armagh at the moment are 27 April 1987 (22.4 C) and 20 April 2019 (22.3 C).
The second and third warmest days this April, that’s, the tenth and eleventh of April 2025, are additionally the 2 warmest days on document at Armagh throughout the primary half of April. The 5 warmest days at Armagh throughout the first 15 days of April at the moment are the tenth and eleventh of April 2025 (21.8 C and 21.7 C respectively), adopted by 3 April 1946 (21.0 C), 14 April 2007 (20.9 C), and a pair of April 1946 (20.6 C).
The bottom most air temperature or coolest day, was 8.6 C on thesixteenth, adopted by 9.2 C on the morning of the nineteenth however attributed by conference to the 18th, after which by 10.4 C on the nineteenth. These cool days have been related to a interval of unsettled climate starting on the twelfth of April and which, on the sixteenth and twenty second, supplied probably the most vital rainfall of the month.
The very best minimal air temperature, normally the warmest night time, was a delicate 11.5 C on the twenty eighth, adopted by 11.2 C on the twenty seventh and 10.4 C attributed to the twenty sixth. The twenty eighth was the eighth warmest April night time on document at Armagh, shared with 19 April 2018.
The bottom minimal air temperature, normally the coldest night time, was -0.2 C on the seventh, adopted by 0.4 C on the eighth, and 1.6 C on the seventeenth.
There have been a number of fairly sharp floor frosts among the many 17 nights with recorded grass minimal temperatures lower than or equal to zero Celsius of which the bottom three have been -6.9 C on the eighth, -6.5 C on the seventh, and -5.4 C on the sixth. There was solely sooner or later, particularly the seventh, with a nighttime air frost.
There have been no named storms this month and few April showers. As a substitute, the month was dominated by excessive atmospheric strain. The imply 09:00 GMT atmospheric strain decreased to imply sea stage was roughly 1018 mbar, nearly 4 mbar larger than the corresponding most up-to-date (1991-2020) 30-year common (1014 mbar). This was the best common April atmospheric strain for 4 years, that’s, since April 2021 (imply strain decreased to imply sea stage of 1026 mbar).
A buzzard was famous circling over nesting rooks on the morning of the 1st, and a rainbow was noticed on the afternoon of the thirteenth adopted on the 14th by a quick however heavy hail bathe. Complete precipitation this April was 64.8 mm with no hint values. Regardless of the comparatively giant variety of dry days (16 days with no precipitation), this was wetter than common with roughly 23% extra rainfall than the 183-year long-term (1838-2020) common at Armagh (52.75 mm) and 16% greater than the latest (1991-2020) 30-year common (55.89 mm). It was additionally the wettest April at Armagh for seven years, that’s, since April 2018 (complete precipitation 75.85 mm together with 5 hint values).
The wettest meteorological day, which begins at 09:00 GMT, was notionally the twenty second with 14.5 mm of precipitation, adopted by the 18th (Good Friday 2025) with 14.3 mm, and the sixteenth with 10.7 mm. Nevertheless, persistent heavy rain started on the sixteenth at round 03:10 GMT and continued all day till roughly 18:40 GMT, supplying a complete accumulation of 20.7 mm throughout the day. The explanation this didn’t rely because the wettest day of the month was that, following customary meteorological procedures, this complete quantity was cut up throughout two meteorological days: 10.2 mm earlier than 09:00 GMT on the sixteenth (and so attributed to the fifteenth) and 10.7 mm after 09:00 GMT (and attributed to the sixteenth).
This April was additionally very sunny with 212.0 hours of sturdy sunshine, a worth roughly 46% greater than the 140-year (1881-2020) long-term April common at Armagh (145.54 hours) and 41% greater than the latest (1991-2020) 30-year common (149.87 hours). April 2025 was subsequently a lot sunnier than common, the third sunniest April on document at Armagh and the sunniest for 5 years, that’s, since April 2020 (213.7 hours of sturdy sunshine). The 4 sunniest Aprils at Armagh at the moment are April 1902 (221.6 hours), April 2020 (213.7 hours), April 2025 (212.0 hours), and April 2021 (210.5 hours).
Aside from the 4th, which nonetheless had a decent 4.6 hours of sturdy sunshine, the primary 11 days of the month have been all exceptionally sunny for early April. Taken collectively they produced an common of 10.6 hours of sturdy sunshine per day. The prevalence of such a protracted sunny spell within the first half of April is unprecedented within the Observatory’s every day sunshine document, which started in the direction of the top of April 1880, although a comparable sunny spell occurred from the twenty first to the thirtieth of April 1918. The sunniest day this April 2025 was the twenty third, with 12.8 hours of sturdy sunshine, adopted by the fifth, seventh, and eighth, which every had 11.6 hours.
These knowledge 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
Faculty Hill
Armagh
BT61 9DG
Tel: 028-3752-2928
E-mail: mark.bailey@armagh.ac.uk
