DULL, WET NOVEMBER, MUCH WARMER THAN AVERAGE

Armagh Observatory, 7 December 2015: Armagh Observatory reports that November 2015 was dull, wet and much warmer than average. This was the warmest November for four years (that is, since November 2011) and the sixth warmest November on record at Armagh, shared with November 2002 and 1948.

The mean monthly temperature was 8.7 degrees Celsius (47.7 degrees Fahrenheit), approximately 2.5 C warmer than the long-term (1796-2010) average November temperature at Armagh (6.17 C) and 1.7 C warmer than the most recent (1981-2010) 30-year average November temperature, which is 7.02 C. The five warmer Novembers at Armagh are those of 1994 (9.6 C), 2011 (9.4 C), 1899 (9.3 C), 1997 (9.0 C) and 2007 (8.8 C).

The warmest day (highest maximum daily temperature) was 17.2 C, which occurred on the 1st and was the equal warmest November day on record at Armagh, that is, since records of maximum and minimum daily temperatures began at Armagh in August 1843. This record highest maximum November daily temperature is shared with that recorded on 2nd November 2005. There were eight ground frosts, the coldest of which (on the 23rd) was -7.1 C, and one nighttime air frost (lowest minimum temperature), namely -1.1 C, which also occurred on the 23rd.

Total rainfall amounted to 121.1 mm (4.77 inches) including six trace values. This was 65% more than the long-term (1838-2010) average November precipitation at Armagh and approximately 62% more than the most recent (1981-2010) 30-year average precipitation at Armagh. Although wetter than average, November 2015 was not as wet as the previous year (149.2 mm) or indeed either November 2009 or 2002, which had recorded rainfall totals of 171.8 mm and 133.9 mm respectively. The wettest day was the 14th, with 19.7 mm (nearly 0.8 inches) of rainfall.

There were only 44.4 hours of recorded strong sunshine at Armagh this month, which is approximately 70% of the long-term (1881-2010) average November sunshine at Armagh and 76% of the most recent (1981-2010) 30-year November average. The sunniest day, with 7.9 hours of strong sunshine, was the 1st, and there were 11 days with no recorded strong sunshine at all.

Taking the meteorological autumn months September, October and November together, Autumn 2015 was drier and warmer than average with about average sunshine. Total autumn precipitation was 194.05 mm (including 13 trace values), making Autumn 2015 the driest for eight years, the relatively dry September and October months more than compensating for the wet November.

The average daily temperature during Autumn 2015 was 10.68 C, which is 1.3 C warmer than the long-term (1796-2010) average autumn temperature at Armagh (nearly 9.38 C), and 0.55 C warmer than the most recent (1981-2010) 30-year average temperature at Armagh, which is 10.13 C. There were 262.3 hours of strong sunshine this autumn, which is nearly the same as the most recent 30-year average at Armagh (262.5 hours).

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; mebarm.ac.uk; URL: http://climate.arm.ac.uk

Last Revised: 2015 December 7th