High Heaton Weather and Air Quality – June 2025

Weather

June was another exceptionally warm month. However, the first ten days were unsettled and cool, with a maximum of only 15.6° on the 7^th and 8^th, the latter being the day of the Parish Walk.  The remainder of the month was warm or hot every day, and overall it was the hottest June that I have recorded, with an average temperature of 16.1°C.  This is a remarkable 2.0°C above the average for June, and 0.5°C warmer than the previous hottest June, in 2023. The month’s maximum temperature was 30.6°C at 2pm on Friday 20^th which is substantially hotter than the previous highest of 28.6° in 2020. The last day of the month was also very warm with a maximum temperature of 29.1°C.  Three days this month were hotter than any June days on the over the previous 30 years. Until a few years ago it seemed unlikely that we would ever experience temperatures in the thirties in High Heaton, but we have now had three such days. The other two were consecutive days in July 2022, on one of which (19^th) my all-time high of 35.9°C was recorded.  The month’s minimum temperature was 7.3°C at 6am on Sunday 8^th. In contrast, on the night of the 27^th/28^th the temperature did not fall below 18.4°C.  Thunder and lightning, accompanied by heavy rain, occurred on the evening of Saturday 21^st.  A total of 40mm of rain fell during the month which is 66% of the average, and this was the fifth successive month with below average rainfall. The wettest day was Saturday 7^th with 8mm falling.

Air Quality

There was a strong breeze blowing throughout the month and this prevented the build-up of pollutants in the atmosphere. The average PM2.5 particle concentration was 5.8µg/m3 which is the lowest value this year.  The Air Quality Index was Band One (best) on 25 days, in Band Two on four days, and in Band Three on one day. These three bands are all classed as being ‘good’ air quality.

John Telfer