JUNE MUCH WARMER, WETTER, AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE
Armagh Observatory, 3rd July 2026: Armagh Observatory reports that June 2026 was much warmer, wetter, and sunnier than average. With an average temperature of approximately 15.8 degrees Celsius (60.5 Fahrenheit), this was the sixth warmest June on record at Armagh, shared with June 1970, and the warmest June at Armagh for three years, that is, since the exceptionally warm June 2023 (17.4C). With 89.4 mm of precipitation, it was also the wettest June at Armagh for seven years, slightly wetter than June 2025.
The average temperature was approximately 2.4C warmer than the 225-year long-term (1796-2020) June average at Armagh (13.4 C) and nearly 1.8C warmer than the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year average (approximately 14.0C). This month continued a recent trend towards warmer Junes. Six of the last seven Junes at Armagh have been warmer than the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year June average, while the rolling 30-year June average at Armagh has increased by approximately 0.7C in just the last twenty years.
The Sun heated up a number of days during June
This June was noteworthy in recording a short-lived heat wave and several very warm nights. According to the UK Meteorological Office, a heat wave in Northern Ireland requires three or more consecutive days with maximum temperatures at least 25.0C (77.0F). This occurred during the four days beginning the 23rd of June 2026. The corresponding highest temperatures at Armagh were 29.8C on the 25th (now the warmest day of the year so far), followed by 28.0C on the 23rd, 26.3C on the 26th, and 25.5C on the 24th.
The 25th (29.8C) is also the equal-fourth warmest June day on record at Armagh, shared with the 29th of June 2018, and the equal-tenth warmest day ever recorded at Armagh. For comparison, the hottest day so far recorded at Armagh is 31.3C on 22nd July 2021.
Over the last approximately 180 years heat waves have occurred at Armagh in June, on average, at approximately ten-year intervals. It is a measure of the recent increase in average temperatures at Armagh that four June heat waves have occurred in the last eight years.
The highest minimum air temperature or warmest night during this month’s heat wave occurred during the night of the 26th/27th in the small hours of the 27th, namely 17.7C. This forged a new record for the warmest June night at Armagh, the three warmest June nights at Armagh now being 17.7C (27 June 2026), 17.2C (24 June 2023), and 17.0C (both 28 June 1957 and 30 June 2025).
Despite this very warm spell during the fourth week of the month, other days this June were often cloudy, occasionally cool, and sometimes wet with heavy, localised showers. The three coolest days, or lowest maximum air temperatures, were 14.9C on the 9th, followed by 15.0C on the 6th, and 16.0C on both the 8th and 13th. The coolest nights, or lowest minimum air temperatures, were 6.7C on the 8th, followed by 7.2C on the 5th, and 7.3C on the 9th. Similarly, the three lowest grass-minimum temperatures this were 0.7C on the 8th, followed by 2.4C on the 21st, and 3.7C on the 9th; there were no frosts.
Rainbows were noted on the evening of the 4th and the afternoon of the 30th. Swallows and swifts were observed on the morning of the 15th.
Total precipitation was 89.4 mm including four trace values, that is, 89.2 mm if trace values are ignored. This is approximately 40% wetter than the 183-year long-term (1838-2020) June precipitation at Armagh (63.7 mm), and 42% more than the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year June average (62.9 mm). The three wettest days were the 19th, with 17.7 mm of rainfall, followed by the 3rd with 12.9 mm, and the 18th with 11.7 mm. There were 17 rain days, that is, days with at least 0.2 mm of precipitation.
Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder at the Armagh Observatory
With 153.9 hours of strong sunshine, June 2026 recorded a roughly average quantity of strong sunshine, almost the same as the 140-year long-term (1881-2020) average at Armagh (159.7 hours) and only 10% larger than the most recent (1991-2020) 30-year average (144.6 hours). There was one sunless day with zero hours of strong sunshine, namely the 6th, and two other dull days, the 22nd and 29th, each with less than half an hour of strong sunshine. The sunniest day was the 23rd with 11.7 hours of strong sunshine, followed by the 25th with 11.4 hours, and the 24th with 10.6 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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