JANUARY MUCH WETTER, SUNNIER, AND COOLER THAN AVERAGE
Armagh Observatory, fifth February 2026: Armagh Observatory studies that January 2026 was a lot wetter, sunnier, and cooler than common. As with January final 12 months (2025) there have been three named storms this 12 months, Goretti, Ingrid, and Chandra, however solely the final of the three, specifically Storm Chandra, introduced damaging impacts to Northern Eire.
Storm Chandra, named by the UK Met Workplace, was a deep low-pressure system that introduced moist and windy circumstances to southwest Eire, Cornwall, and southwestern elements of Wales on the evening of the 26/27 January and later Northern Eire. Principally affecting the east of the area, this storm was uncommon in bringing important rainfall and powerful east or south-easterly winds as a substitute of winds from the prevailing westerly course.
Whole precipitation for the month was 138.6 mm (5.46 inches) together with 4 hint values, or 138.4 mm if hint values are ignored. That is roughly 190.4% of the 183-year long-term (1838–2020) common January precipitation at Armagh (72.8 mm) and 190.7% of the newest (1991–2020) 30-year common (72.7 mm). In different phrases, this January at Armagh recorded practically twice the typical January precipitation.
Rain Guage at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. Picture Credit score: Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
This was the wettest January at Armagh for 58 years, that’s, because the exceptionally moist January 1948 (170.8 mm). It was additionally the third wettest January in a 189 year-long day by day rainfall sequence at Armagh starting in 1838. The 5 wettest Januarys at Armagh at the moment are 1948 (170.8 mm), 1877 (140.1 mm), 2026 (138.6 mm), 2008 (133.6 mm), and 2016 (131.9 mm).
The wettest days had been the twenty sixth with 34.7 mm, adopted by the twenty second with 15.8 mm, and the twenty seventh with 10.1 mm. The primary and third of those, each related to the passage of Storm Chandra, triggered localised flooding across the metropolis.
The twenty sixth, with 34.7 mm of precipitation, was additionally the wettest January day at Armagh for 172 years and the second wettest January day on report at Armagh, that’s, because the record-breaking eighth of January 1854 (35.3 mm). The next day noticed the bottom 09:00 GMT atmospheric strain of the month, roughly 972 mbar lowered to imply sea stage, and likewise, in a short-lived bathe, the one hail of the month.
Gentle snow showers had been recorded throughout the first 4 days of the month adopted by a quick sleet bathe on the night of the fifth. A skinny overlaying of snow with depth between 0.5 and 1.5 cm endured from the 2nd to the sixth.
A band of 4 jays was noticed within the Astropark round noon on the nineteenth. This follows one report of a jay seen within the Observatory grounds in 2024 after which one other of two jays seen in 2025, suggesting that there may now be a breeding pair in close by woodland. A raft of roughly 40 gulls was seen flying south in a “V” formation across the time of observations on the twenty eighth; and on the afternoon of the third, a pair of geese was noticed flying southeast throughout the late afternoon of the third.
CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
The typical temperature this January, specifically 4.8 Celsius (40.6 Fahrenheit), was 0.6 C hotter than the 225-year long-term (1796–2020) common January temperature at Armagh (4.2 C) however 0.2 C cooler than the newest (1991–2020) 30-year common (5.0 C).
The best most air temperature, often the warmest day, was 11.7 C on the eleventh, adopted by 10.7 C on the twenty eighth, and 10.6 C on the twenty fifth. The bottom most temperature, often the best day, was 3.0 C on the fifth, adopted by 3.1 C on the 4th, and three.2 C on the eighth. This exhibits that there have been no days this January through which the utmost air temperature was beneath freezing.
The best minimal air temperature, often the warmest evening, was 7.7 C on the twelfth, adopted by 5.6 C on the twenty fifth, and 5.1 C on the thirty first. The bottom minimal air temperature, notionally the coldest evening, was -3.1 C attributed to the first. Nonetheless, this date may very well be barely deceptive as a result of the bottom minimal air temperature really occurred at first of the corresponding meteorological day, that’s, shortly after 09:00 GMT on thirty first December 2025 as a substitute of, as standard, within the small hours after midnight and earlier than 09:00 GMT on the first.
This month there have been 9 nights with air frosts, that’s, with minimal air temperatures lower than or equal to zero Celsius, and 22 with floor frost. The coldest floor frosts had been -8.0 C on the tenth, adopted by -7.4 C on the first, and -7.3 C on the fifth.
The entire of 57.0 hours of robust sunshine exhibits that this January was barely greater than 23% sunnier than the 140-year long-term (1881–2020) January common at Armagh (46.2 hours), and 20% sunnier than the newest (1991–2020) 30-year common (47.4 hours). The sunniest day was the twenty eighth with 6.6 hours of robust sunshine, adopted by the 6.1 hours on the fifteenth and 5.9 hours on the thirteenth. There have been 9 sunless days this January at Armagh, that’s, days with zero hours of robust sunshine, in contrast with the long-term January common of roughly 12.5 sunless days.
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
