Armagh Observatory reports that June 2022 was drier, warmer and duller than average.
Total precipitation was 56.1 mm (2.21 inches), including 6 trace values, that is, 55.8 mm (2.20 inches) if trace values are ignored. This was approximately 88% of the 183-year long-term (1838-2020) June precipitation at Armagh (63.7 mm) and 89% of the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year June average (62.9 mm). The wettest day was the 24th with 11.6 mm (0.46 inches) of rainfall, followed by the 27th with 9.6 mm (0.38 inches).
It is noteworthy that although the month was drier than average, measurable precipitation occurred on more than half (17) of the 30 days of the month. There was thunder on the afternoon of the 26th and a vivid double rainbow during late evening of the 29th.
The mean monthly temperature, that is, the average of the daily maximum and minimum temperatures, was 14.4 degrees Celsius (57.9 Fahrenheit), approximately 0.97 C warmer than the 225-year long-term (1796-2020) average June temperature at Armagh (13.43 C) and 0.35 C warmer than the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year June average (14.05 C). Although slightly warmer than average, this was the coolest June at Armagh for three years, that is, since June 2019 (mean temperature 13.7 C).
The warmest day, defined as the day with the highest maximum air temperature, was 22.0 C (71.6 F) on the 20th. Although significantly lower than the warmest day last June (23.1 C), this was still the warmest day of the year up to the end of the month and the warmest day at Armagh for five weeks, surpassing 20.7 C achieved on 16th May. Only two other days, namely the 15th and 16th June, both with maximum temperatures of 20.6 C, exceeded 20 C this month. The warmest night, defined as the highest minimum air temperature recorded by the observer during the 24 hours prior to the morning readings at 09:00 GMT, was 14.5 C on the night of the 23/24th June, followed by 14.3 C on the 16/17th.
The coolest day (lowest maximum air temperature) was 14.6 C on the 2nd, followed by 16.0 C on the 13th. The coolest night (lowest minimum air temperature) was 5.9 C in the small hours of the 1st, followed by 6.9 C on the 2nd. There were two nights with ground frost, that is, with minimum grass temperatures less than or equal to zero Celsius, namely -1.2 C on the 1st and -0.6 C on the 2nd. There were no nights with air frost.
With just 132.1 hours of strong sunshine, June 2022 had 83% of the 140-year long-term (1881-2020) June average at Armagh (158.7 hours) and a little over 91% of the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year June average (144.6 hours).
The almost 10% difference in these average quantities at Armagh is due to a decrease in the average number of strong sunshine hours for June in the last quarter of the twentieth century. During the first nearly two-thirds of the 140-year instrumental sunshine record at Armagh from 1881-1970, the average number of hours of strong sunshine was approximately 167 +/- 42, while during the second 50 years, from 1971-2020 it was 143 +/- 35 and three of the eight dullest Junes at Armagh have occurred in the last 10 years. This suggests that changing weather patterns are producing greater cloud cover at Armagh either side of midsummer. The sunniest day was the 20th, with 12.7 hours of strong sunshine, followed by the 10th with 11.2 hours.
These data refer to observations at Armagh Observatory, which has been recording the weather at Armagh since 1795.
For further information, please contact:
Professor Mark E. Bailey, Emeritus Director of Armagh Observatory
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG
Tel: 028-3752-2928
E-mail: mark.bailey@armagh.ac.uk
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