2020 one of warmest years on record for Greater Manchester

Rochdale town centre on a clear and sunny day

2020 was the fourth warmest year on record for Greater Manchester, beaten only by 2014, 2006 and 2011.

The region also saw its sunniest and third warmest April, only exceeded by 2011 and 2007, plus the sunniest spring on record.

Over the year, Greater Manchester had the fourth lowest number of air frost days, exceeded only by 2002, 2014 and 1974. An air frost occurs when the air temperature falls to or below the freezing point of water.

Overall, the mean temperature of Greater Manchester came in at 10.37 Celsius, just below England’s average of 10.58.

Greater Manchester also experienced more rainfall and sunshine than usual, but still had more rain and less sunshine than the English average.

Nationally, the figures paint a similar picture as 2020 ranked in the top ten years for mean temperature, rainfall, and sunshine.

Early figures show it was the third warmest year in records dating back to 1884, beaten only by 2014 and 2006, and marginally warmer than 2011.

It was also provisionally the sixth wettest year for the UK in records back to 1862, and the eighth sunniest year since 1919.

Professor Peter Stott, a Met Office research Fellow in climate change attribution, said: “All top-ten warmest years on record for the UK have occurred since 2002, and 2020 has continued to be consistent with this pattern.

“The general trend of warming as a consequence of climate change is clearly to be seen, not just at a global level, but in our own national temperature records too.”