August 2024
SUMMARY OF THE METEOROLOGICAL READINGS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY
August 2024
Temperatures (all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1991-2020)
Mean daily maximum: 20.2 Difference from average: +0.4
Mean daily minimum: 11.7 Difference from average: +0.4
Mean air temperature: 16.0 Difference from average: +0.4
Absolute maximum: 24.4 (12th)
Absolute minimum: 4.9 (31st)
Mean grass minimum: 9.8 Difference from average: +0.6
Absolute grass minimum: 2.7 (31st)
Mean concrete minimum: 11.5
Absolute concrete minimum: 6.1 (31st)
Number of ground frosts: 0 Difference from average: 0
Number of air frosts: 0 Difference from average: 0
Mean soil temperature at 300 mm depth: 17.4
Mean soil temperature at 1000 mm depth: 16.2
Rainfall (all totals in millimetres; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 24.8 Difference from average: -41.4
Percentage of the average: 37%
Wettest day: 5.2 (22nd)
Number of rain days (>0.1 mm): 17 Difference from average: +1
Number of wet days (=>1.0 mm): 12
3-month total rainfall to 31st August 2024: 114.6 Difference from average: -74.8
6-month total rainfall to 31st August 2024: 320.6 Difference from average: -5.8
12-month total rainfall to 31st August 2024: 841.4 Difference from average: +160.4
Sunshine (all totals in hours; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 174.5 Difference from average: +7.9
Percentage of the average: 105%
Mean daily sunshine: 5.8 Difference from average: +0.4
Sunniest day: 8.8 (6th)
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: 5.9
Maximum gust: 64.4 (21st, 21:00, WSW)
Comments on August 2024
In terms of temperature, August felt a bit disappointing. There were some warmer days in the first half of the month, but the absolute maximum was only 24.4 °C, 0.9 °C below average, and so there were no days above 25 °C (The average is 2 days above 25 °C, with a maximum of 16 in 1975). None of the measures of temperature were much above average, yet it was nevertheless the 25th warmest August on record since 1843. August was the second-driest month this year; June was marginally drier (24.2 mm); it was a much wetter August last year (82.6 mm) but even drier in 2022 (13 mm, the 3rd driest August on record). Total hours of bright sunshine was just above average.
This was the =16th warmest summer on record (15.2 °C). It was the 22nd driest summer since 1850 (114.6 mm). Even so, there was rain regularly through the summer with 43 rain days, just three below average. Sunshine hours during the summer were almost exactly average (512 hours, 101%), ranking 92nd highest in 142 years. Using the Davis summer weather index, summer 2024 ranks as the 28th best summer at Durham since 1900, so just into the upper quartile.
Emeritus Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University