July 2022 Weather in Durham – Record Breaking Heat

The weir on The Wear and Durham Cathedral from Millburngate Bridge

Into the furnace we went! The start of July 2022 was relatively cool and mainly cloudy, with short periods of rainfall being typical in the first week, although quantities were small. The 6th was a windy day for July. Temperatures then began to rise after the first week, with some forecasts indicating a spell of very hot weather around 17th. …

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New Book – Durham Weather and Climate Since 1841

Durham Weather and Climate since 1841 Front Cover

The British have always been obsessed by the weather. Astronomers at Durham Observatory began weather observations in 1841; weather records continue unbroken to this day, one of the longest continuous series of single-site weather records in Europe. Durham Weather and Climate since 1841 represents the first full publication of this newly digitised record of English weather, which will be of lasting …

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April 2022 Weather in Durham – Average Temperatures, Continuing Dry

April Flowers

Temperature April 2022 was a very unremarkable month, temperature-wise. The mean came in at 8.7 degC, which is only very slightly above the 1991-2020 average (8.3). After hitting 20 degC in March 2022, the top temp for April could only reach 18.9 degC on 17th. This is modest. Early in the month, so often the case for April, there was …

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March 2022 Weather in Durham – Continuing Mild and Dry

Bright sunshine in Durham Botanical Gardens March 2022

Temperature Once again, the temperature finishes above average. March 2022 came in at 7.3 degC, which is +1.1 degC up on the 1991-2020 average of 6.2 degC. Like February, there was a single air frost, under the influence of high pressure, on March 7th.  The minimum of -2.2 was unremarkable for March in Durham. The 20 degC mark was breached …

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Feb 2022 Weather in Durham – Mainly Mild, Few Frosts

Durham Cathedral Sunset

Temperature In continuation from January, February 2022 was mainly mild. The mean temperature was 6.0 degC, which is 1.4 degC above the 1991-2020 climatic mean.  The month was still well behind the mildest ever February in Durham though, this being in 1998 (7.6). There was only one recorded air frost, on February 11th, when the thermometer dropped to -1.7 degC. …

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Mammatus Cloud in Durham on 6th February 2022

Mammatus Cloud in Durham

The following was observed just after the passage of a very potent shower on 6th February 2022. The ‘cows udder’ appearance of Mammatus Cloud is due to intense updraughts in the base of the cloud, effectively throwing precipitation back upwards, against gravity. They can be intensely turbulent, and aircraft are best advised to avoid them if they are on a …

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How I Started Durham Weather

Keep up to date with Durham Weather

Weather and weather forecasting is now big business. Since 1976, i’ve continued to measure local weather, although several house moves around the North East (Ferryhill, Kirk Merrington, Langley Park) and a trip to college in Newcastle had made the weather measurements a little sporadic in the 90’s. However, they are more stable as I’m a stay-at-home retired creature now. I …

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Tonga volcanic eruption detected in Durham!

Tongan volcanic eruption shockwave in Durham Weather data

On 15th January a sub-marine volcano, Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, just off the coast of Tonga, exploded with incredible force. The blast wave was visible from space and caused tsunami waves all around the perimeter of the Pacific Ocean. The eruption was some 10,000 miles away from the UK, on the other side of the World. For those that don’t know, …

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