Northern Ireland weather: June was hottest on record says Met Office
- Published
June started with a very settled period of high pressure, bringing warm and dry conditions, as seen here in Broughshane, County Antrim
Despite recent cloud and rain across Northern Ireland, the Met Office has said June 2023 is set to be our hottest ever June in a series of records that go back to 1884.
The month has seen two distinct periods of weather contributing to the record-breaking temperatures.
June started with a very settled period of high pressure, bringing warm and dry conditions.
That was replaced later in the month by warm and humid conditions.
These kept the temperatures above average but also delivered one of the most dramatic days of convective weather, external - ie severe thunder storms with heavy rain and sudden temperature changes - in years on 20 June.
The two have combined to set the new monthly temperature record.
From a forecasting perspective, the start of June wasn't very exciting.
High pressure gives very settled conditions - dry, warm days and cool, clear nights, with very light winds.
We had three weeks with very little rain from late May to mid-June.
With the solstice on 21 June, the days are at their longest at this point in the year and lengthy sunny days really helped the temperatures build, but still kept the nights cool and comfortable for sleeping.
When the weather broke, it did so in dramatic fashion, delivering hundreds of lightning strikes right across Northern Ireland through the middle of the month.
Climate scientist Mike Kendon said it was the persistence of the warmth rather than the real extremes that has been notable
Maghera storm chaser Martin McKenna described summer 2023 so far as "our best storm season in years".
Mike Kendon, a climate scientist with the Met Office, told Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme June had been "quite a remarkable month".
"This time of year might typically expect temperatures in the high teens, maybe occasionally in the low 20s, but we've actually had a prolonged spell of temperatures in the low to mid-20s," he said.
"So it's really the persistence of the warmth rather than the real extremes that has been notable.
"It's as a result of that that we've had the warmest June on record in Northern Ireland."
He said it had also been the hottest June on record in England, Wales and Scotland.
"You're going to be hearing of more records like this through the coming decades," he said.