For the year as a whole, three months fell below the 1961-1990 Durham average temperature (June, July, September) so, despite a warm end to the year, the overall average (9.3°C) was well down on last year.
Whilst well above the 1961-1990 average, it is only just above the average for the last 30 years. 2015 was the 37th wettest year on record at Durham, a dry first half to the year and a wet second half. Five of the last ten years have been wetter. Sunshine hours were once again below average, for the fourth year in a row.
There was, like 2014, a low number of ground frosts (72) and, despite the high rainfall total, a relatively low number of rain days (167). This reflects the tendency for mean rainfall intensity gradually to have increased since the 1890s and particularly since the 1960s (Burt et al., 2015).
Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University
