HOTTEST DAY.. EVER

30.4C is highest June temperature since records began

NORTHERN Ireland basked in its warmest June since records began, weather experts said yesterday.

It included a day that saw the highest temperature ever measured by the Armagh Observatory since it started taking daily readings in 1795.

The hottest two days were June 27 and 28 when temperatures reached 30.4C and 30.2C respectively.

Armagh Observatory said 30.4C is the highest temperature since its records began 223 years ago.

The heatwave is keeping the Fire Service on its toes and yesterday crews were called to Benone Strand in Magilligan, Co Derry, to battle the flames.

A spokesman said: “NIFRS responded to a gorse and dune fire at Benone Strand, at 12.38pm.

“Appliances from Limavady, Coleraine, Dungiven, Ballymoney, Crescent Link and Maghera Fire Stations are in attendance. The incident is ongoing.”

Overall, last month was much warmer and drier than normal and with higher than average number of hours of strong sunshine.

“With a mean monthly temperature of 16.16C this was the warmest June since 1846 – and the thirdwarmest since daily measurements of temperature at the Observatory began around 1795.

“This was the driest June at Armagh for three years which recorded 29.45mm of rainfall.

“The mean temperature was nearly 16.2C, 2.8C warmer than the 1796-2010 average and 2.3C warmer than the most recent [1981-2010] 30-year average.

This was the third-warmest June on record at Armagh, that is, since 1795.”

Weather observers recorded 180.5 hours of strong sunshine.

The spokesman added: “This is nearly 4% more than the long-term [1881-2010] average number of hours of strong June sunshine at Armagh, and approximately 25% more than the most recent [19812010’ 30-year June average.

“This was the sunniest June at Armagh for three years, that is, since June 2015, which had 183 hours of strong sunshine.

“The sunniest day was June 29, with 14.7 hours.”

Meanwhile, the Met Office said the warm weather is set to continue this week. Today’s top temperature will peak at 25C, and with a high pressure in place over the whole country, the weather is set to stay dry and settled this week.

The hose pipe ban announced by NI Water on Friday remains in place until further

notice.

BLAZING SKIES Tyrella Beach in Co Down looked like the Med BAT A GIRL Fun in the sun SMOKING HOT Fire at Benone Strand, Co Derry, yesterday MAKE A SPLASH Pals in Portmuck HEARD THE SNOOZE? Taking a nap in Co Derry BEACH BABE Adrienne Mcguinness at...