LOOKING at isolated events like this week’s mini-heatwave cannot tell you that much about overall trends for our weather.
But by looking in terms of many decades, instead of mere seasons or years, a more reliable picture emerges.
Below are Northern Ireland’s average temperatures, decade by decade, in degrees Celcius.
These were collected from 35 weather stations across Northern Ireland and are rounded to one decimal point.
FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH:
1910s: 4.5
1920s: 5.4
1930s: 5.4
1940s: 5.7
1950s: 5.6
1960s: 5.3
1970s: 5
1980s: 5.1
1990s: 6.3
2000s: 6.1
FOR SPRINGTIME (March/April/May)
1910s: 7.1
1920s: 7.1
1930s: 7.4
1940s: 7.9
1950s: 7.7
1960s: 7.4
1970s: 7.1
1980s: 7.4
1990s: 8.1
2000s: 8.3
FOR SUMMER (June/July/August)
1910s: 13.1
1920s: 13
1930s: 13.6
1940s: 13.7
1950s: 13.5
1960s: 13.2
1970s: 13.5
1980s: 13.6
1990s: 13.9
2000s: 14.3
FOR AUTUMN (September/October/November)
1910s: 8.6
1920s: 8.9
1930s: 8.9
1940s: 9.5
1950s: 9.4
1960s: 9.1
1970s: 9.1
1980s: 9
1990s: 9.4
2000s: 9.9
FOR WINTER (December/January/February)
1910s: 4
1920s: 4.7
1930s: 4.2
1940s: 4.1
1950s: 4
1960s: 3.6
1970s: 4.2
1980s: 4.1
1990s: 4.5
2000s: 4.8
THE OVERALL ANNUAL AVERAGE:
1910s: 8.2
1920s: 8.4
1930s: 8.5
1940s: 8.8
1950s: 8.7
1960s: 8.4
1970s: 8.5
1980s: 8.5
1990s: 9
2000s: 9.3