February 2025
SUMMARY OF THE METEOROLOGICAL READINGS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY
February 2025
Temperatures (all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1991-2020)
Mean daily maximum: 7.9 Difference from average: +0.2
Mean daily minimum: 2.1 Difference from average: +0.7
Mean air temperature: 5.0 Difference from average: +0.4
Absolute maximum: 15.2 (20th)
Absolute minimum: -2.1 (6th)
Mean grass minimum: 0.6 Difference from average: +1.2
Absolute grass minimum: -5.5 (6th)
Mean concrete minimum: 1.1
Absolute concrete minimum: -3.4 (6th)
Number of ground frosts: 11 Difference from average: -5
Number of air frosts: 5 Difference from average: -5
Mean soil temperature at 300 mm depth:
Mean soil temperature at 1000 mm depth:
Rainfall (all totals in millimetres; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 33.4 Difference from average: -11.9
Percentage of the average: 73.7%
Wettest day: 7.6 (10th)
Number of rain days (>0.1 mm): 18 Difference from average: +2
Number of wet days (=>1.0 mm): 10
3-month total rainfall to 28th February 2025: 146.3 Difference from average: -13.3
6-month total rainfall to 28th February 2025: 336.0 Difference from average: -18.7
12-month total rainfall to 28th February 2025: 656.6 Difference from average: -24.4
Sunshine (all totals in hours; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 68.7 Difference from average: -16.6
Percentage of the average: 81%
Mean daily sunshine: 2.2 Difference from average: -0.8
Sunniest day: 8.3 (6th)
Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 5
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: 1.4
Maximum gust: 14.8 (21st, 12:00, SW)
Comments on February 2025
There were some cold days, including five consecutive sunless days (8th – 12th inclusive), in the middle of February, but the start and particularly the latter part of the month were mild. Like January, there were no ice days. Mean air temperature was the =41st highest since 1844, but notably cooler than the last three Februarys. The mean maximum temperature was =50th highest and the mean minimum temperature was =40th highest. It was the 85th driest February in 176 years with less than 75% of the usual amount. With just 4 hours more sunshine than February 2024, this was the 70th dullest February on record, perhaps not surprising given the 5 consecutive sunless days. It was not a windy month with a maximum gust of only 14.8 kph.
Overall, it was a mild winter. The mean maximum temperature (7.9 °C, +0.7 °C above average) was the =16th highest since 1844, and the mean minimum temperature ((2.0 °C, 0.6 °C above average) was the =19th highest; the mean air temperature (5.0 °C, 0.7 °C above average) was also the =19th highest on record. Rainfall (146.2 mm) was a little below average (92%). The amount of sunshine this winter (197.2 hours) was just below average; it was, however, still the 10th sunniest winter since 1883 but nowhere nearly as sunny as 2023 (249.7 hours) and 2022 (253 hours).
Emeritus Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University