Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The climate of Northern Ireland is temperate oceanic (Köppen: Cfb), owing to the prevailing south-westerly winds that come from the Atlantic Ocean, moderated by the Gulf Stream. This means that the weather is changeable, with rain occurring throughout the year. Winter is characterised by cold, wet and overcast conditions, with average January temperatures ranging from 4 to 6 °C (39 to 43 °F).
Snow is infrequent at sea level but falls fairly regularly in the Sperrins and Mourne Mountains, with occasional falls elsewhere. Spring is characterised by changeable, wet and windy weather, with increasing sunshine. Autumn weather is similar to spring, with occasional Indian summers. Summer is characterised by mild and changeable conditions, with average July temperatures ranging from 14 to 16 °C (57 to 61 °F), and warm sunshine, although the nights can be cool.
Due to the warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift the coast of Northern Ireland has higher average temperatures than inland. The lowest recorded temperature was −17.5 °C (0.5 °F) in January 1887 at Omagh, while the highest recorded temperature was 30.8 °C (87.4 °F) on 12 July 1983 in Belfast.
Annual precipitation averages range from over 2,000 millimetres (79 in) in the Mournes and Sperrins to less than 1,000 millimetres (39 in) in some coastal areas. Much of this falls as drizzle, especially during the winter months, when days can be quite gloomy.
Climate change
The long-term effects of climate change are unclear, but it is likely that winters will become milder and wetter, and summers will become warmer and possibly drier. This could lead to more extreme weather events, such as storms and floods.