MAY 2026 WARMER, DRIER, AND SLIGHTLY SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE. FOURTH WARMEST SPRING ON RECORD, DRIER AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE
Armagh Observatory, 4th June 2026: Armagh Observatory stories that Might 2026 was hotter, drier, and barely sunnier than common. Taking March, April, and Might collectively, the meteorological spring was additionally drier and sunnier than common, and the fourth warmest spring on report at Armagh.
With a mean temperature of 12.8 C, this Might was roughly 1.4 C hotter than the corresponding most up-to-date (1991-2020) 30-year common at Armagh (11.4 C) and a pair of.2 C hotter than the 225-year (1796-2020) long-term common (10.6 C). This Might was the equal twelfth warmest Might on report at Armagh, persevering with a warming development during which eight of the final ten Mays at Armagh have now been hotter than the newest 30-year common.
A month-to-month common can usually disguise massive variations. This Might, greater than half the month (the third to the 18th) was cooler than common, however the cool begin was greater than made up by a really heat spell across the finish of the month starting on the nineteenth. Every of the six days from the twenty fourth to the twenty ninth reached most air temperatures larger than 5 levels Celsius hotter than the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common of the every day temperature maxima for Might at Armagh (15.8 C). The best temperature (26.3 C) occurred on Monday the twenty fifth, the Spring Financial institution Vacation. This was the very best Might temperature ever recorded at Armagh, although solely marginally hotter than the earlier report (26.2 C) set 37 years in the past on twenty third Might 1989.
Not like elements of England and Wales, there was no heatwave in Northern Eire, nor had been any earlier report Might temperatures damaged by a major margin. In line with the UK Met Workplace, a heatwave is simply mentioned to happen in Northern Eire when the utmost air temperature meets or exceeds 25.0 C on not less than three consecutive days. In line with this definition, there has by no means been a Might heatwave at Armagh.
230 Years of Climate Recording 14 July 2025 Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Armagh
CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
This Might, the three warmest days or highest most air temperatures at Armagh had been 26.3 C on the twenty fifth, adopted by 23.8 C on the twenty seventh, and 23.6 C on the twenty fourth. Equally, the warmest night time, or highest minimal air temperature, was 13.3 C on the twenty eighth, adopted by 13.1 C on the twenty fourth, and 13.0 C on each the twenty second and twenty ninth.
In contrast, the three coolest days or lowest most air temperatures had been 12.4 C on the third, adopted by 13.4 C on the ninth, and 13.7 C on the fifth. The best nights, or lowest minimal air temperatures, had been 0.2 C on the sixth, adopted by 0.3 C on the tenth, and three.2 C on the ninth.
Though there have been subsequently no air frosts this month there have been 14 floor frosts, that’s, nights when the grass-minimum temperature fell to lower than or equal to zero Celsius. Amongst these the coldest had been -7.3 C on the tenth, adopted by -5.1 C on the sixth, and -3.2 C on the ninth.
230 Years of Climate Recording 14 July 2025 Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Armagh
CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
Whole precipitation was 40.0 mm together with 4 hint values, that’s, 39.8 mm if hint values are ignored. That is roughly 68.3% of the 183-year (1838-2020) long-term common Might precipitation at Armagh (58.6 mm) and 68.7% of the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common (58.2 mm). Might 2026 subsequently continues a sample during which now ten of the final fifteen Mays have been drier than common. It’s noteworthy that, regardless of current warming, month-to-month rainfall at Armagh has modified little or no on common over 2 hundred years.
The wettest day was the nineteenth with 9.2 mm of precipitation, adopted by the seventeenth with 7.3 mm and the 18th with 4.9 mm, these three comparatively moist days collectively supplying greater than half the month’s whole rainfall. There have been 15 rain days this month, that’s, days with larger than or equal to 0.2 mm of precipitation.
The observer famous partial rainbows on the morning and night of the thirteenth, and thunder on the seventeenth. Swifts had been recorded on the first and twenty seventh, and swallows on the 14th, 18th, and twenty first. The typical atmospheric strain recorded at 09:00 GMT and lowered to imply sea stage every day was 1017 mbar, near the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common at Armagh (1016 mbar).
Might 2026 recorded 184.5 hours of sturdy sunshine, roughly 4.6% greater than the 140-year (1881-2020) long-term Might common at Armagh (176.4 hours) and three.2% greater than the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common (178.8 hours). The month was subsequently solely barely sunnier than common.
The sunniest day was the ninth with 14.3 hours of sturdy sunshine, adopted by the twenty seventh with 12.8 hours, and the twenty fourth with 12.2 hours. There have been two sunless days this month, that’s, days with zero hours of sturdy sunshine, which occurred on two successive days, particularly the 2nd and third. There have been 4 boring days, that’s, days with lower than 0.5 hours of sturdy sunshine.
230 Years of Climate Recording 14 July 2025 Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Armagh
CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
Taking the three months March, April and Might collectively, meteorological spring 2026 was hotter, sunnier, and drier than common. With a mean temperature of 10.1 C, this was roughly 2.0 C hotter than the 225-year long-term (1796-2020) spring common at Armagh (8.1 C) and 1.1 C hotter than the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common (9.0 C). This spring was the fourth warmest on report at Armagh, persevering with a development in direction of warmer-than-average springs at Armagh. Among the many fifteen warmest springs at Armagh, ten have occurred in simply the final twenty years.
Whole spring precipitation was 147.6 mm, roughly 88% of the 183-year (1838-2020) long-term common spring precipitation at Armagh (167.0 mm) and 85% of the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common (173.8 mm).
With every of the meteorological spring months (March, April, Might) sunnier than common, spring 2026 was additionally sunnier than common with 501.5 hours of sturdy sunshine. That is roughly 18% greater than the 140-year (1881-2020) long-term spring common at Armagh (424.4 hours) and 16% greater than the newest (1991-2020) 30-year common (431.6 hours), resulting in this being the eighteenth sunniest spring on report at Armagh.
These knowledge seek advice from 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
