March 2025
SUMMARY OF THE METEOROLOGICAL READINGS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY
March 2025
Temperatures (all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1991-2020)
Mean daily maximum: 12.0 Difference from average: +2.1
Mean daily minimum: 2.5 Difference from average: 0.0
Mean air temperature: 7.3 Difference from average: +1.1
Absolute maximum: 17.5 (8th)
Absolute minimum: -3.7 (19th)
Mean grass minimum: 0.2 Difference from average: -0.4
Absolute grass minimum: -6.4 (19th)
Mean concrete minimum: 1.7
Absolute concrete minimum: -3.8 (18th, 19th)
Number of ground frosts: 19 Difference from average: +5
Number of air frosts: 7 Difference from average: 0
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: 20.8 Difference from average: -20.5
Percentage of the average: 50.3%
Wettest day: 8.4 (22nd)
Number of rain days (>0.1 mm): 14 Difference from average: -1
Number of wet days (=>1.0 mm): 4
3-month total rainfall to 31st March 2025: 115.2 Difference from average: -24.5
6-month total rainfall to 31st March 2025: 259.0 Difference from average: -80.3
12-month total rainfall to 31st March 2025: 625.8 Difference from average: -55.2
Sunshine (all totals in hours; all averages 1991-2020)
Total for the month: 178.8 Difference from average: +58.3
Percentage of the average: 148%
Mean daily sunshine: 5.8 Difference from average: +1.9
Sunniest day: 11.4 (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: 1.6 Maximum gust: 17.9 (29th, 22:00, W)
Pressure (mbar)
Average: 1015.8
Maximum: 1034.7 (1st, 22:15-23:30) Minimum: 999.9 (22nd, 04:15)
Comments on March 2025
Although there were some cool days in the middle of March, mostly the days were mild, yet the nights were cold. There was the 9th highest mean maximum temperature, yet the mean minimum was only the 46th highest in 182 years. Overall, there was the 13th equal highest mean air temperature for March since 1844. There were 22 days with a maximum above 10 °C, 6 above average. In relation to the relatively cold nights, there was only the 49th highest mean grass minimum since 1874, with 19 ground frosts, 5 above average.
It was the equal 33rd driest March on record, the driest March since 2020. All three long-term rainfall totals are now below average. Most notably, it was a very sunny month, the 5th sunniest March on record at Durham since 1881. There was 11.4 hours of sunshine on the 26th, the 5th equal sunniest March day on record, the sunniest March day this century. In a month dominated by anticyclonic conditions, the pressure never fell below 999.9 mbar.
Emeritus Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University