June 2024
SUMMARY OF THE METEOROLOGICAL READINGS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY
June 2024
Temperatures (all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1991-2020)
Mean daily maximum: 18.5 Difference from average: +0.5
Mean daily minimum: 9.5 Difference from average: +0.2
Mean air temperature: 14.0 Difference from average: +0.4
Absolute maximum: 25.6 (24th)
Absolute minimum: 4.3 (13th)
Mean grass minimum: 7.7 Difference from average: +0.1
Absolute grass minimum: 1.6 (13th)
Mean concrete minimum: 10.5
Absolute concrete minimum: 5.4 (5th)
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: 15.9
Mean soil temperature at 1000 mm depth: 14.0
Rainfall (all totals in millimetres; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 24.2 Difference from average: -37.0
Percentage of the average: 40%
Wettest day: 6.2 (16th)
Number of rain days (>0.1 mm): 10 Difference from average: -5
Number of wet days (=>1.0 mm): 9
3-month total rainfall to 30th June 2024: 178.6 Difference from average: +21.7
6-month total rainfall to 30th June 2024: 347.2 Difference from average: +50.7
12-month total rainfall to 30th June 2024: 947.2 Difference from average: +266.2
Sunshine (all totals in hours; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 182.8 Difference from average: +18.4
Percentage of the average: 111%
Mean daily sunshine: 6.1 Difference from average: +0.6
Sunniest day: 8.9 (26th)
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: 59.5 (5th, 13:00, W)
Comments on June 2024
Like May, June started cool but eventually the weather improved, and the mean air temperature ended up above average. After maximum temperatures just above 20 °C on the 2nd and 3rd, maximum temperatures did not again exceed 20 °C until the 20th. Overall, it was the coolest June since 2019, ranking the 30th warmest June since 1844, so nevertheless in the upper quartile. Maybe June felt disappointing since 13 Junes have been warmer since 1991, 7 of them since 2014. There was the 28th highest mean minimum since 1844 but only the equal 46th highest mean maximum.
This was the driest month since February 2023. It was the 31st driest June since 1850 and the driest June since 2013. There were the same number of rain days as in June 2023, even though more than twice as much rain fell that month. Sunshine hours were above average for the first time since January. It was the 59th sunniest June since 1882 and the least sunny June since 2020.
Emeritus Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University