Northern Ireland sees joint warmest September on record

The average temperature of 14.2°C for September 2023 matches previous records set in 2006 and 2021

Northern Ireland has experienced its joint warmest September on record.

This has primarily been attributed to temperatures at the start of the month.

The average temperature of 14.2°C for September 2023 matches previous records set in 2006 and 2021, which is a notable 1.6°C above the normal monthly average.

The elevated temperatures during the initial days were a result of high-pressure systems across Europe, Mark McCarthy from the Met Office has said.

"This helped draw warmer air over the UK," Dr McCarthy explained.

"Once this subsided, we had more Atlantic influence, with periods of winds and rain, as well as Storm Agnes later in the month."

Storm Agnes was the first named storm of the season, which caused heavy flooding, strong winds and some power outages.

A study by the Met Office shed light on the influence of climate change on September's warmth.

The analysis suggested that the UK's mean temperature of 15.2°C would have been nearly impossible without human-induced climate change, underlining the impact of climate change on our weather patterns.

While the UK as a whole experienced its second warmest September on record, England and Wales surpassed their previous records.

Despite the warmth, Northern Ireland also saw a significant departure from the norm in terms of precipitation.

It witnessed 66% more rain than usual, with a total of 166mm, compared to the typical 87mm over the course of the month.