Unusually-warm Monday looks like a one-off this week: forecasters

Northern Ireland, like the rest of the UK, experienced some unusually-elevated temperatures on Monday '“ although there are unlikely to be any similarly-high burst of warmth in the days ahead.
The sun sets behind the Seven Sisters round barrow, at Copt Hill, Houghton-le-Spring, during unseasonably warm weather  across the UK. Picture date: Monday February 20, 2017.The sun sets behind the Seven Sisters round barrow, at Copt Hill, Houghton-le-Spring, during unseasonably warm weather  across the UK. Picture date: Monday February 20, 2017.
The sun sets behind the Seven Sisters round barrow, at Copt Hill, Houghton-le-Spring, during unseasonably warm weather across the UK. Picture date: Monday February 20, 2017.

The two highest temperatures measured in the Province on Monday were 14.9C, recorded at 2.30pm at Murlough, Co Down, and 14.3C, recorded at 1.50pm at Ballywatticock near Mount Stewart, also in Co Down.

In Northern Ireland in Feburary, the average maximum daily temperature is 7.4C.

However, Monday’s readings were still a far cry from the UK-wide peak temperature of 18.3C.

This was recorded at two sites on Monday, both in London – one at Northolt, the other at Kew Gardens.

However, Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said that Monday’s “well above average” readings were likely to have represented the “peak” of the warm spell.

She predicted that Tuesday would likely begin with cloudy weather in the Province, followed by rain, and with temperatures up to a maximum of about 12C or 13C.

The week ahead appears “changeable and unsettled” – and Thursday in particular looks likely to bring rain and high winds – and possibly some weather warnings – for Northern Ireland.

She said the reason temperatures hit a high on Monday was because of a warm front which had traversed the Atlantic from the direction of the Caribbean.