RECORD-BREAKING JULY. DRIEST FOR AT LEAST 190 YEARS, EQUAL HIGHEST PRESSURE, AND MUCH WARMER AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE
Armagh Observatory, 4th August 2026: Armagh Observatory experiences that this July 2026 was the driest July on report at Armagh, that’s, since every day rainfall measurements started on the Observatory in 1836. This month was additionally a lot hotter than common, the sixth warmest July on report at Armagh, and the tenth sunniest.
Whole precipitation was an exceptionally low 3.4 mm (0.13 inches) together with six hint values, that’s, 3.1 mm if hint values are ignored. This was simply 4.6% of the 183-year (1838–2020) long-term common July precipitation at Armagh (73.4mm) and 4.9% of the marginally decrease most up-to-date (1991–2020) 30-year July common (69.0mm).
The wettest day was the thirty first with 1.4 mm of rainfall, adopted by 0.6 mm on each the first and twenty ninth. This month noticed a complete of simply 5 rain days, that’s, days with no less than 0.2 mm of precipitation. The a number of driest Julys at Armagh at the moment are July 2026 (3.4mm), July 1878 (4.7mm), July 1863 (6.2mm), July 2000 (13.3mm), July 1898 (14.3mm), and July 1982 and 1983 (each 15.2mm).
Low rainfall is commonly related to excessive atmospheric strain, and July 2026 was no exception. The very best every day 09:00 GMT strain at Armagh decreased to imply sea stage was 1031.9 mbar on the twenty first, effectively down the listing of highest July atmospheric pressures at Armagh, however the month-to-month common strain (roughly 1022 mbar) was 7 mbar increased than the corresponding 170-year (1851–2020) July long-term common (1015 mbar).
This was the very best common July atmospheric strain on report at Armagh, shared with July 1989, 1968, 1955, and 1911. These months additionally had lower-than-average precipitation, however as a result of in every case the run of dry climate was damaged by a number of moist days none have been exceptionally dry. To take July 1955 for instance, this month additionally had 5 rain days, however complete precipitation was 51.1 mm dominated by rainfall within the first three days of the month, with 43.7 mm on the third, the third-wettest July day on report at Armagh.
This illustrates the vagaries of rainfall, which though altering little or no on common over the 190 years that it has been measured every day at Armagh, does fluctuate very considerably from place to position and each from yr to yr and from one month to a different. To combine metaphors, precipitation is characterised by feast and famine, with dry locations typically near moist ones and dry intervals typically following moist spells and vice versa.
July 2026 was additionally one other very heat month at Armagh, with a median temperature of 17.65 levels Celsius (63.8 Fahrenheit). That is roughly 2.78 C hotter than the 225-year long-term (1796–2020) common at Armagh (14.87C) and 1.93C hotter than the latest (1991–2020) 30-year July common (15.72C). This July was the sixth warmest on report at Armagh and the warmest for 5 years, that’s, since July 2021 (imply temperature 17.88C).
The common of the every day most air temperatures was 22.43C, roughly 2.77C hotter than the corresponding most up-to-date (1991–2020) 30-year July common (19.66C) and rating sixth within the listing of highest common most July temperatures at Armagh. Equally, the typical of the every day minimal air temperatures was 12.87C, which is 1.10C hotter than the corresponding most up-to-date (1991–2020) 30-year July common (11.77C) and sixth within the listing of highest common minimal air temperatures at Armagh.
The warmest days (highest most air temperatures) have been 27.7C on the fifteenth, adopted by 27.6C on the sixteenth, and 27.1C on the eighth. The fifteenth, though a really heat day, was neither exceptionally scorching for a heat July day at Armagh nor the warmest day of the yr. The latter continues to be the twenty fifth of June 2026 (29.8C). This heat July additionally included the second warmth wave of the yr, particularly the 14th to the seventeenth of July inclusive, every day of which achieved most temperatures no less than 25.0C. That is the second yr in a row that warmth waves have been recorded at Armagh in each June and July.
The good days (lowest most air temperatures) have been a comparatively gentle 17.2C on the first, adopted by 17.9C on the 2nd and 18.6C on the thirty first, indicating how this July was book-ended initially and finish of the month by extra changeable climate. The warmest night time (normally the very best minimal air temperature) was 16.2C at roughly 11:26 GMT on the twenty seventh and due to this fact attributed to the twenty eighth, adopted by 16.1C on the twenty ninth, and 14.5C on the fifth. The good night time (lowest minimal air temperature) was 8.9C on the nineteenth, adopted by 9.6C on the thirty first, and 10.2C on the thirtieth. Not surprisingly, there have been no air frosts or floor frosts. The bottom grass-minimum temperatures have been 1.2C on the nineteenth, 2.3C on the thirty first, and three.3C on the thirtieth.
This July was additionally sunnier than common, with a complete of 194.9 hours of robust sunshine recorded by the Observatory’s Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder. That is roughly 143% of the 140-year long-term (1881–2020) July common at Armagh (135.9 hours) and practically 145% of the latest (1991–2020) 30-year July common (134.8 hours). This was the sunniest July at Armagh for 13 years, that’s, since July 2013 (228.1 hours of robust sunshine) and the tenth sunniest July at Armagh since every day sunshine data started in 1880. The sunniest day was the thirteenth with 14.1 hours of robust sunshine, adopted by the 14th and sixteenth, each with 13.8 hours.
These knowledge discuss with observations at Armagh Observatory, which has been recording the climate at Armagh since 1795.
For additional data, 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