March 2022
SUMMARY OF THE METEOROLOGICAL READINGS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY
March 2022
Temperatures (all temperatures in degrees Celsuis; all averages 1991-2020)
Mean daily maximum: 11.8 Difference from average: +1.9
Mean daily minimum: 2.9 Difference from average: +0.4
Mean air temperature: 7.3 Difference from average: +1.2
Absolute maximum: 19.3 (25th)
Absolute minimum: -3.4 (7th)
Mean grass minimum: 0.8 Difference from average: +0.2
Absolute grass minimum: -6.6 (7th)
Mean concrete minimum: 2.0
Absolute concrete minimum: -4.0 (7th)
Number of ground frosts: 15 Difference from average: +1
Number of air frosts: 5 Difference from average: -2
Mean soil temperature at 300 mm depth: 7.6
Mean soil temperature at 1000 mm depth: 7.3
Rainfall (all totals in millimetres; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 41.4 Difference from average: +0.1
Percentage of the average: 100%
Wettest day: 12.0 (3rd)
Number of rain days (>0.1 mm): 13 Difference from average: -2
Number of wet days (=>1.0 mm): 7
3-month total rainfall to 31st March 2022: 121.8 Difference from average: -37.7
6-month total rainfall to 31st March 2022: 327.0 Difference from average: -27.7
12-month total rainfall to 31st March 2022: 615.2 Difference from average: -65.8
Sunshine (all totals in hours; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 179.5 Difference from average: +59
Percentage of the average: 149 %
Mean daily sunshine: 5.8 Difference from average: +1.9
Sunniest day: 11.0 (23rd)
Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 1
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: 3.5
Maximum gust: 66.0 (17th, 12:00, W)
Comments on March 2022
This was the 12th warmest March since 1844, with daytime temperatures especially well above average. The mean maximum of 11.8 °C is the equal 11th highest on record. The maximum temperature of 19.3 °C on the 25th is the 19th equal warmest March day on record since 1850 (n=5363) with 21 days having a maximum above 10 °C.
The rainfall total was almost exactly average, a wetter March than either 2020 or 2021. Notwithstanding the average rainfall, it was the fifth sunniest March on record, with (from 4th to 1st) only 2012, 2003, 1907 and 1894 having received more (191.4 hours in 1894). The measured total of 173.6 is only a little below the estimate, again showing the value of recent pruning of trees and bushes at the Observatory site (although this is unlikely to be so beneficial during the summer half of the year when trees to the NE and NW will shade the radiometer at either end of the day).
Emeritus Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University