Northern Ireland just had one of its hottest and wettest Junes since records began - here's what the numbers reveal
June 2026 was one of the warmest and wettest ever for Northern Ireland.
Figures obtained from the Met Office show that it is was the joint fourth warmest June on record, with an average daily temperature of 14.6C.
That is tied in fourth place with the June of 1893, and comes in behind behind 2018 (14.8C), 1887 (15.7C), and 2023 (16C).
The warmest county was Armagh, where the average for the month was 15.1C, followed by Down with 14.9C, Fermanagh with 14.8C, Antrim and Tyrone with 14.4C, and Londonderry with 14.3C.
It was also 12th wettest on record, with an average of 135.6mm of rain during the month – some 67% more than usual (based on the average rainfall from 1991 to 2020).
The wettest ever was June of 1897, when an average of 179.3mm fell.
Armagh was the wettest place to be in June 2026 with an average of 145mm falling (74% more than usual) and the driest spot was Armagh at 119.3C (though this was still 67% more rain than normal for the county).
As for the rest of the UK, June 2026 was England’s warmest June on record for average mean temperature, while the UK and Wales recorded their second warmest June.
The Met Office records date back to 1884 for temperature, and 1836 for rainfall.
The figures for the whole month of June given in this article are provisional.
The Met Office said: “A defining feature of the month’s heatwave was the exceptionally warm overnight temperatures, with frequent ‘tropical nights’ helping to drive the highest average June minimum temperatures on record for the UK, England and Wales, while Scotland recorded its joint highest on record…
"Sunshine totals were above average for the UK, England and Wales, although not by as much as might be expected given the intensity of the late-month heatwave.
"The high humidity meant skies were often hazier and cloudier than during a less humid heatwave, limiting sunshine totals despite the exceptional temperatures.
“Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded below average sunshine totals.”
Asked what the weather has in store for the Twelfth weekend, the Met Office said it was too far ahead to give a detailed picture for the Province.
But its general forecast gives cause for some hope.
It said: “High pressure will dominate across England and Wales into next week, likely extending its influence across more on the northern UK with time.
"This will bring dry and warm conditions with plenty of sunshine for most.
"Scotland and Northern Ireland will probably see more cloud at first, with periods of rain at times.
"Through next week though, the high pressure may extend northwards to bring periods of drier and warmer weather to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
"Winds will be light to moderate for most, though stronger around northern hills and coasts near low pressure systems.
"Temperatures becoming widely warm, perhaps locally hot in parts of the southeast, although not as hot nor humid as seen in the past week."