Record temperature during heatwave confirmed in Castlederg

Q Radio News/PA

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 minus 18.7C during a big freeze in December 2010.

During the heatwave last month, the village also set a record temperature of 31.3C on July 21.

A higher temperature of 31.4C 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.

Until the July heatwave, the record temperature in Northern Ireland had stood for 45 years, but was then broken a number of times.

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

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

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

Northern Ireland recorded its third warmest July.

Brisk business on local beaches in July

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

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

Northern Ireland (16.4C) and Scotland (15.1C) had their third warmest July figures, Wales (16.5C) saw its ninth warmest and England (17.5C) had 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.

Both countries had 25% more sunshine hours than average, with 175.6 hours for Scotland, and 175.5 for Northern Ireland.

Scotland got 67% (66.4mm) of its average rainfall in the month, while Northern Ireland had just 53% (43.3mm).