Sunniest October at Armagh for 12 years, slightly wetter than average, roughly average temperature.


Armagh Observatory reports that October 2020 was much sunnier than average, slightly wetter and with roughly average temperature. This was the sunniest October at Armagh for 12 years.

The mean temperature was nearly 10.1 degrees Celsius (50.1 Fahrenheit), which is approximately 0.6 C warmer than the long-term (1796–2010) average October temperature at Armagh but nearly the same as the most recent (1981–2010) 30-year average.

The warmest day (highest maximum air temperature) was 17.0 C on the 14th. The coldest day (lowest maximum air temperature) was 9.5 C on the 17th. The highest minimum temperature was 11.4 C, which occurred in the small hours of the 21st, preceded by the second-warmest night (10.4 C) on the 20th. The coldest night, that is, the lowest minimum temperature, was 1.4 C on the 2nd. This was preceded by 2.9 C on the 1st and followed by 3.4 C on the 3rd. These three nights at the start of the month also recorded the lowest grass minimum temperatures, namely –5.4 C on the 2nd, –3.5 C on the 3rd, and –3.4 C on the 1st. There were 8 ground frosts during the month, that is, grass minimum temperatures less than or equal to zero Celsius, but no air frosts.

Halloween (31st October) had roughly average temperature, but was noteworthy in being associated with the first named storm of the autumn, namely Storm Aiden, which produced a short period of heavy rain and some strong winds.

Total precipitation was 87.7 mm (3.45 inches) including 6 trace values, that is, 87.4 mm if trace values are ignored. This means that the month was approximately 9% wetter than the long-term (1838–2010) average October at Armagh but just 2% wetter than the most recent (1981–2010) 30-year average. Following a series of five drier than average Octobers, this was the wettest October at Armagh for six years. There was just one day (the 24th) with no measurable rainfall or trace of precipitation at all. The wettest day was the 4th with 19.2 mm of rainfall, followed by the 19th with 17.3 mm.

A rainbow was recorded on the afternoon of the 3rd and a hail shower on the afternoon of the 9th. A flock of ten geese was seen flying south-east over the Observatory on the morning of the 8th, and a similar flock of 11 geese at roughly the same time (08:45 GMT) flying in the same direction on the 22nd.

There was thick fog on the morning of the 18th. With a total of 115.6 hours of strong sunshine, October 2020 was much sunnier than average, registering approximately 33% more strong sunshine than the long-term (1881–2010) average at Armagh and 28% more than the most recent (1981 2010) 30-year average. This was the sunniest October at Armagh for 12 years, that is, following 117.5 hours of strong sunshine recorded in October 2008, and the tenth-sunniest October at Armagh since sunshine records began in 1880. The sunniest day was the 2nd, with 10.0 hours of strong sunshine.

These data refer to observations at Armagh Observatory, which has been recording the weather at Armagh since 1795.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Mark Bailey at the Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG. Tel.: 028-3752- 2928; FAX: 028-3752-7174; mark.bailey@armagh.ac.uk; URL: http://climate.armagh.ac.uk/.


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