Record heat-wave temperature confirmed in Castlederg, Co Tyrone

A Co Tyrone village is now the holder of the record for the highest and lowest temperatures in Northern Ireland.

Castlederg already held the record for the coldest temperature, having recorded -18.7 degrees during a big freeze in December 2010.

During the heat wave last month, the village also set a record temperature of 31.3 on July 21st.

A higher temperature of 31.4 had been provisionally recorded in Armagh the following day, but that has been ruled out by the Met Office because the equipment did not pass all subsequent verification checks.

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Until the July heat wave, the record temperature in Northern Ireland had stood for 45 years but was then broken several times.

Ballywatticock recorded a temperature of 31.2, which was exceeded days later in Castlederg.

Before July, the previous highest Northern Ireland temperature of 30.8 was recorded on July 12th, 1983, and June 30th, 1976.

Heat warning

The heat wave last month resulted in the UK’s joint fifth warmest July on record.

Northern Ireland recorded its third warmest July.

The average temperature for July in the UK was 16.6 degrees, level with July 1995, according to provisional Met Office figures.

This is still some way short of the record figure of 17.8 in 2006.

Northern Ireland (16.4) and Scotland (15.1) had their third-warmest July figures, Wales (16.5) experienced its ninth warmest and England (17.5) its 11th warmest.

The Met Office issued its first extreme heat warning last month, with western areas in particular getting the most consistently hot conditions.

Forecasters said Scotland and Northern Ireland were far drier and sunnier than average for July. – PA