2019's June was fourth hottest since 1901, report IRM

2019's June was fourth hottest since 1901, report IRM
© Belga

Last month was marked by highs averaging 23.6°C, way above the average 20.6°C for a normal month of June, the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) reported on Monday.

The IRM also noted in its latest climate report that June 2019 was the fourth hottest month since 1901. While it was way below the 1976 record of 24.9°C, it came close to the 23.8°C registered in 2003 and 2017.

Temperatures were above the normal averages for a good part of the month in Uccle. However, from the 5th to the 13th inclusive, with the exception of the 10th, they remained a bit below the seasonal norm.

The highest temperature, 35.4°C, was recorded on 25 June in Ophoven (Limburg), while the lowest, 2.7°C, was measured on the 7th in Elsenborn (Bütgenbach, Liège Province).

During the last third of the month (21-30 June) Belgium experienced an early heat wave, with highs of at least 25°C – topping 30°C on three days - registered at Uccle.

The month of June in general was “much higher than normal” (18.5°C as against 16.2°C).

The last month of the school year was also very bright: the sun shone for 255 hours and two minutes, as against 188 hours and five minutes during a normal June. This was the 10th time in the present period of reference, which began in 1981, that the sun came out every day. No completely overcast day - in which the sun failed to appear from dawn to dusk – was observed, whereas there are at least 2.1 such days in an average June.

Usually, there are 10 days in June with very cloudy skies. However, this year there were only two, a new record. The previous record, in 2003, was three.

The month was also fairly rainy: 98.1 millimetres of rain fell in 12 days in Uccle, whereas the norm is 71.8 mm. However, not a drop fell in Uccle from 20 June.

There were storms on 16 days during the month as against 12.7 in a normal month of June.

The Brussels Times


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