2022 Weather Review: Sunshine, showers and cold snaps

Sunshine, showers and cold snaps - 2022 was a year of extremes.

It began in the middle of Northern Ireland's fourth warmest winter since 1884.

All three meteorological winter months - December 2021, and January and February 2022 - recorded monthly temperatures at least 1C above average.

It was still cold at times though and snow did bring disruption for some, and fun for others, on 6 and 7 January.

It was also the 10th wettest February since 1836 as 158% average rainfall was recorded.

This figure was likely helped by the fact that we saw three named storms in a single week, the first time that has happened since storms began to be named in 2015.

Storm Dudley struck on the 16 February, Eunice on the 18th, and Franklin followed on the 21st.

Portstewart in County Londonderry took a pounding from the waves

One extreme to the next

Spring got off to a bright start as we enjoyed the sunniest March in more than 100 years, since 1919.

But it would go out on a cloudy and damp note as the 8th dullest May in the same period with above average rainfall.

Summer will be remembered for severe flooding and extreme heat.

The north west bore the brunt of torrential rainfall in July as over 7cm of rain fell in a very short amount of time on the 23rd at Magilligan.

Temperatures also came close to breaking Northern Ireland's record of 31.3C.

Derrylin in County Fermanagh reached 31.2C on 18 July.

Warm weather would continue into the next month as we recorded the 8th sunniest August since 1884.

The sun shone at Antrim Castle, near Belfast International Airport

People enjoyed the sunshine in some of Belfast's green spaces

Autumn got off to a very wet start as weather stations recorded 158% of our normal amount of rain in September, with flooding in Tyrone on the 4th.

That was followed by further flooding on a number of days at the end of October which also saw more than 150% average rain.

Then came the coldest start to winter since the big freeze of 2010, as a cold snap gripped Northern Ireland for more than a week.

Many parts of Northern Ireland had to deal with flooding

A partially frozen waterworks in north Belfast

Temperatures plunged as low as -10C on several nights, with severe frost, ice, and snow showers forecast.

But it has also been the quietest start to winter with no locally named storms.

It is the first time that has occured since the system to name storms was introduced seven years ago.