April 2025
SUMMARY OF THE METEOROLOGICAL READINGS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY
April 2025
Temperatures (all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1991-2020)
Mean daily maximum: 15.1 Difference from average: +2.6
Mean daily minimum: 4.6 Difference from average: +0.6
Mean air temperature: 9.9 Difference from average: +1.6
Absolute maximum: 24.4 (30th)
Absolute minimum: -0.9 (7th)
Mean grass minimum: 2.0 Difference from average: +0.1
Absolute grass minimum: -3.7 (7th)
Mean concrete minimum: 4.4
Absolute concrete minimum: -0.4 (7th)
Number of ground frosts: 8 Difference from average: -2
Number of air frosts: 2 Difference from average: -1
Mean soil temperature at 300 mm depth: 10.8
Mean soil temperature at 1000 mm depth: 9.6
Rainfall (all totals in millimetres; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 4.2 Difference from average: -47.0
Percentage of the average: 8.2
Wettest day: 2.0 (21st)
Number of rain days (>0.1 mm): 4 Difference from average: -10
Number of wet days (=>1.0 mm): 2
3-month total rainfall to 30th April 2025: 58.4 Difference from average: -81.7
6-month total rainfall to 30th April 2025: 190.2 Difference from average: -149.1
12-month total rainfall to 30th April 2025: 551.2 Difference from average: -129.8
Sunshine (all totals in hours; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 227.3 Difference from average: +72.0
Percentage of the average: 147%
Mean daily sunshine: 7.6 Difference from average: +2.4
Sunniest day: 12.4 (7th) Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 0
Note that the monthly sunshine total is now calculated from the UKMO E&NE regional total. Daily sunshine totals quoted here and in the data summary are uncorrected.
Wind (kph; all data from the West Building roof, Lower Mountjoy campus)
Average wind speed: 1.3
Maximum gust: 12.1 (27th, 14:00, W)
Pressure (mbar)
Average: 1017.9
Maximum: 1033.4 (9th-10th) Minimum: 996.1 (13th)
Comments on April 2025
April was an exceptional month although only one record was broken: there was the warmest April day on record on the 30th (24.4 °C). It was the 3rd hottest April on record (9.9 °C) since records began in 1844, surpassed only in 2007 (10.7 °C) and 2011 (11.2 °C). There was the 4th highest mean maximum and the 11th highest mean minimum. 29 days had a maximum above 10 °C, 6 more than average. There were 29 days above 10 °C, 6 more than average. The daily range on the 10th was 20.2 °C, the 41st highest daily range since 1850 and the second highest in April – 21.0 °C on 12th April 1906. The highest daily temperature range at Durham was 23.7 °C on 5th August 1916.
It was the 4th driest April on record since 1850. There was the equal 2nd lowest number of rain days. It was the 3rd sunniest April on record (since 1882); only 2021 (229.5 hours) and 1914 (238.1 hours) have had sunnier Aprils in Durham.
Emeritus Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University