February records

Fields flooded all over Ireland. 

Met Eireann's Moore Park station reported the warmest February on record. Both the month’s highest and lowest air temperatures were also recorded at Moore Park. The lowest minimum was reported on February 12 with a temperature of -2.2°, while the highest maximum was reported on February 4 and 21 with a temperature of 14.7°.

The mean temperature was 6.4° at Knock Airport, Co. Mayo (2.2° above its LTA). All stations reported ground frost during the month. The number of days with ground frost ranged from two days at both Mace Head, Co. Galway and Belmullet, Co. Mayo to 20 days at Phoenix Park, Co. Dublin.

All mean air temperatures recorded at weather stations across the country were above average for the month, but only 7 stations reported record temperatures.

Met Éireann said that February 2024 was a wet and mild month with the majority of monthly rainfall totals above their 1981-2010 LTA. Monthly rainfall totals ranged from 64.9 mm (134% of its LTA) at Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin to 197.5 mm (156% of its LTA) at Newport, Co. Mayo. It rained every day in the leap month in Donegal, with 29 days of rain recorded at Malin Head. Malin Head also recorded the highest wind gust on February 29 with 106 km/h.

As the atmosphere heats up, it can hold more moisture, around 7% more per 1°C of warming. That has been causing flooding of much farmland in Ireland and GB. Fortunately, as our land is sloping, so we don't get much flooding, but the area between the shed and the vineyard is not even walkable. Very wet. 

The Met Office’s recently published report indicates that England and Wales had their respective warmest Februarys on record in what was a wild and wet month for many. According to provisional Met Office statistics, this also marks the UK's second warmest February with an average temperature in England of 7.5°C, topping the previous record of 7°C set in 1990.

February also broke records elsewhere in the world. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) reported that parts of North and South America, northwest and southeast Africa, southeast and far eastern Asia, western Australia, and Europe all saw record-breaking temperatures, either daily or for the whole of the month. However, a large part of north-western Canada, central Asia, and from southern central Siberia to south-eastern China witnessed exceptional cold spells during the last week of the month. Thankfully, the WMO reported yesterday that El Niño has peaked and is now slowly weakening. But the models are not reliable as to the predictability of ENSO neutrality. 

Global sea surface temperatures are also at a record high, a trend that has continued into March, with global SSTs reaching record levels and exceeding the highest temperatures set in August of last year.

SSTs are off the charts. 

We did have a few wintry days in February!

Addendum note:

It's confirmed, February was the warmest Feb on record and the 9th consecutive warmest month. Also confirmed, caused by more absorbed solar radiation, most likely due to reduced sulfur in the air over the oceans and less reflective ice.