June 2010

Temperatures
(all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1961 – 1990)

Mean daily maximum: 19.3
Difference from average: +1.8

Mean daily minimum: 9.0
Difference from average: +0.4

Mean air temperature: 14.2
Difference from average: +1.2

Absolute maximum: 24.6 (22nd)

Absolute minimum: 3.1 (15th)

Mean grass minimum: 6.9

Absolute grass minimum: 0.2 (15th)

Number of ground frosts: 0

Number of air frosts: 0

Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 15.9

Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 14.1

Rainfall
(all totals in millimetres; all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 76.0
Difference from average: +24.2

Percentage of the average: 147%

Wettest day: 24.6 (29th)

Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 12

Number of wet days (=> 1mm): 11

3-month total rainfall to 30th June: 111.2
Difference from average: -39.9

6-month rainfall total to 30th June: 306.8
Difference from average: +4.0

12-month rainfall total to 30th June: 804.2
Difference from average: +155.2

Humidity
(Averages for 09:00 hours GMT)

Relative Humidity: 76%

Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 153.2 hours
Difference from average: -10.5

Percentage of the average: 94%

Mean daily sunshine: 5.1 hours
Difference from average: -0.4

Sunniest day: 11.3 hours (17th)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 1

Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 680.3 hours
Difference from average: -9.8

Wind

The anemometer remains problematic, no summary results can be provided.

ISSN1350-483

Comments on June 2010
This was the warmest June in Durham since 2005. It was the 15th equal warmest June since records began, when – curiously – exactly the same mean air temperature was recorded. June 1850 must have been unusually warm! Daytime temperatures in particular were well above average, although the mean maximum temperature was only the highest since 2006. There were no ground or air frosts.

Rainfall was above average, but still a little drier than June 2009. The 3-month total remains below average and the 12-month total still well above average. The 6-month total is very close to the average, and it is clear that the very dry start to the year in the North West has not been replicated at Durham, to the east of the Pennines. The wettest day was the 29th with a total of 24.6mm, the wettest June day since 1997. Luckily, the weather cleared for the first of the graduation ceremonies that afternoon.

Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University