The latest 30 years means have been published by the Met Office. The period covers the 30 years between 1991-2020 and will be used going forward as a representative of climate norms.
The figures show a warming of about 0.3 degC overall, particularly in late winter/spring, with a slight increase in sunshine, but also wetter, particularly the 2nd half of the year.
Durham’s new figures are below (previous 1981-2010 figures in parentheses)
January
Mean Max: 6.9 degC (6.6)
Mean Min: 1.3 degC (0.9)
Mean: 4.1 degC (3.8)
Air Frosts: 10.3 days (11.3)
Sunshine: 60.9 hrs (58.6)
Rainfall: 51.8 mm (52.3)
Days rain: 11.8 days (11.4)
January has warmed, and the mean maxima and minima are 0.3-0.4 degC higher. This has resulted in one day less air frost on average. Sunshine is up slightly, but rainfall is similar.
February
Mean Max: 7.8 degC (7.2)
Mean Min: 1.4 degC (0.9)
Mean: 4.6 degC (4.1)
Air Frosts: 9.8 days (11.2)
Sunshine: 84.4 hrs (80.3)
Rainfall: 44.6 mm (41.8)
Days rain: 9.9 days (9.3)
February has warmed substantially, with the mean maximum being 0.6 degC up from the 1981-2010 mean. The mean minimum is also 0.5 degC higher. This has resulted in a reduction of air frosts from 11.2 to 9.8 days on average. It has also become slightly sunnier and slightly wetter.
March
Mean Max: 9.9 degC (9.5)
Mean Min: 2.5 degC (2.3)
Mean: 6.2 degC (5.9)
Air Frosts: 6.5 days (6.7)
Sunshine: 121.7 hrs (115.5)
Rainfall: 41.1 mm (44.6)
Days rain: 8.6 days (9.7)
March shows a warming, more in the mean maximum than the mean minimum. This hasn’t made much difference to air frosts, but sunshine has increased and it is a little drier.
April
Mean Max: 12.5 degC (11.9)
Mean Min: 4.1 degC (3.7)
Mean: 8.3 degC (7.8)
Air Frosts: 3.2 days (3.9)
Sunshine: 160.8 hrs (150.3)
Rainfall: 51.2 mm (52.7)
Days rain: 9.1 days (9.5)
April has become markedly warmer, particularly in the mean maximum. The high is now 0.6 degC higher. This means that air frosts are now down to 3 days from 4. Aprils have also been sunnier, with little change in rainfall.
May
Mean Max: 15.4 degC (15.0)
Mean Min: 6.5 degC (6.1)
Mean: 11.0 degC (10.5)
Air Frosts: 0.8 days (0.8)
Sunshine: 187.1 hrs (181.7)
Rainfall: 44.4 mm (44.2)
Days rain: 8.6 days (9.2)
May has followed the trend of warming, with both max and min being up by 0.4 degrees on average. We can still expect one air frost on average. Again, sunshine is slightly up, but there has been little change to rainfall.
June
Mean Max: 18.0 degC (17.6)
Mean Min: 9.3 degC (9.0)
Mean: 13.7 degC (13.3)
Air Frosts: 0.0 days (0.0)
Sunshine: 167.1 hrs (164.8)
Rainfall: 61.0 mm (55.4)
Days rain: 9.9 days (9.7)
June temperatures are up by 0.3-0.4 degC on average and it has become slightly wetter.
July
Mean Max: 20.2 degC (20.1)
Mean Min: 11.3 degC (11.1)
Mean: 15.8 degC (15.6)
Air Frosts: 0.0 days (0.0)
Sunshine: 174.3 hrs (172.3)
Rainfall: 60.9 mm (54.0)
Days rain: 10.7 days (9.0)
July hasn’t shown much change other than a slight increase in mean minimums, but has become slightly wetter and rain comes on two more days.
August
Mean Max: 19.9 degC (19.8)
Mean Min: 11.3 degC (11.0)
Mean: 15.6 degC (15.4)
Air Frosts: 0.0 days (0.0)
Sunshine: 167.3 hrs (167.3)
Rainfall: 66.5 mm (60.8)
Days rain: 10.3 days (9.6)
Again, the slight increase in temperature in August is due to the mean minimum, with a similar effect to July, a slight increase in rainfall and an average of nearly a day extra with rainfall.
September
Mean Max: 17.4 degC (17.2)
Mean Min: 9.3 degC (9.0)
Mean: 13.4 degC (13.1)
Air Frosts: 0.0 days (0.0)
Sunshine: 135.3 hrs (134.5)
Rainfall: 56.9 mm (55.4)
Days rain: 9.4 days (9.3)
September is slightly warmer by 0.3 degC, but other than that the other parameters haven’t changed.
October
Mean Max: 13.5 degC (13.3)
Mean Min: 6.5 degC (6.3)
Mean: 10.0 degC (9.8)
Air Frosts: 1.2 days (1.6)
Sunshine: 98.9 hrs (102.8)
Rainfall: 63.4 mm (60.9)
Days rain: 11.8 days (11.3)
October has warmed slightly and has become slightly duller, with an extra day of rain on average.
November
Mean Max: 9.7 degC (9.4)
Mean Min: 3.6 degC (3.4)
Mean: 6.7 degC (6.4)
Air Frosts: 4.6 days (4.8)
Sunshine: 64.6 hrs (66.4)
Rainfall: 73.0 mm (72.0)
Days rain: 12.0 days (12.3)
November has followed with 0.3 degC of warming. Nothing else has changed that much, with similar rainfall and sunshine totals.
December
Mean Max: 7.1 degC (6.7)
Mean Min: 1.4 degC (1.1)
Mean: 4.3 degC (3.9)
Air Frosts: 10.4 days (11.0)
Sunshine: 57.6 hrs (51.2)
Rainfall: 61.0 mm (57.0)
Days rain: 12.0 days (11.7)
December is now 0.4 degC warmer than in the 1981-2010 period, and is also sunnier, as well as being slightly wetter.
Annual
Mean Max: 13.2 degC (12.9)
Mean Min: 5.7 degC (5.4)
Mean: 9.5 degC (9.2)
Air Frosts: 46.8 days (51.5)
Sunshine: 1480.0 hrs (1445.4)
Rainfall: 675.7 mm (651.1)
Days rain: 124.1 days (122.0)
Overall, the year in Durham is now 0.3 degC warmer, with air frosts reducing by nearly 5 days on average. Durham has received 35 hrs more sunshine in the 1991-2020 period, but with 24.6 mm more rain as well.
When compared to the 1961-1990 averages, Durham has warmed by nearly a whole degree celsius, has 9 days less air frost, has nearly 150 hrs of extra sunshine and has 25mm less rain in the average year.
Source : https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcwzefp2c