Climate and average weather in Carrickfergus
In Carrickfergus, the summers are mild, wet, and mostly cloudy and the winters are cold, breezy, snowy, and mostly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Carrickfergus typically varies from 5°C to 16°C, and is rarely below 2°C or above 18°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while February is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Carrickfergus for warm-weather activities is from early June to late September.
- Hottest
- Aug
- 16°
- Coldest
- Feb
- 5°
- Wettest
- Oct
- 114 mm
- Driest
- Apr
- 68 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1082 mm
- 180 wet days
- Daylight
- 7.0–17.0 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 7 m
- 54.7°N
- Clearest
- May
- 67% cloud
Carrickfergus is town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
- Density
- 2,386/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Carrickfergus weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early June to late September.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Carrickfergus, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.6 months, from June 16 to October 1, with daily high temperatures above 14°C. The hottest month of the year in Carrickfergus is August, with an average high of 16°C and low of 13°C.
The cool season lasts 4.3 months, from November 29 to April 8, with daily high temperatures below 9°C. The coldest month of the year in Carrickfergus is February, with an average low of 5°C and high of 7°C.
Days typically run about 3°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Avg low (°C) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | 5 |
| Feb | 7 | 5 |
| Mar | 8 | 5 |
| Apr | 10 | 6 |
| May | 12 | 8 |
| Jun | 14 | 11 |
| Jul | 15 | 12 |
| Aug | 16 | 13 |
| Sep | 15 | 12 |
| Oct | 12 | 10 |
| Nov | 10 | 7 |
| Dec | 8 | 5 |
How hot and cold Carrickfergus really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about -0°C (around February 27), with roughly 36 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 0°C), worst in February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Air high (°C) | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| Air low (°C) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Feb | 7 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| Mar | 8 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| Apr | 9 | 10 | 3 | 6 |
| May | 12 | 12 | 5 | 8 |
| Jun | 14 | 14 | 10 | 11 |
| Jul | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 |
| Aug | 16 | 16 | 13 | 13 |
| Sep | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 |
| Oct | 12 | 12 | 8 | 10 |
| Nov | 10 | 10 | 3 | 7 |
| Dec | 8 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
Average hourly temperature in Carrickfergus
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on August afternoons, near 16°C, and coldest before dawn in February, near 5°C.
Carrickfergus weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8° / 5° | 99 | 17.2 | 0.8 | 7.6 | 0.9 |
| Feb | 7° / 5° | 79 | 14 | 1 | 9.3 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 8° / 5° | 76 | 14.6 | 0.7 | 11.5 | 1.2 |
| Apr | 10° / 6° | 68 | 13.4 | 0.2 | 13.7 | 1.8 |
| May | 12° / 8° | 72 | 13.5 | 0 | 15.8 | 2.7 |
| Jun | 14° / 11° | 82 | 13.7 | 0 | 16.9 | 3.5 |
| Jul | 15° / 12° | 94 | 15.4 | 0 | 16.5 | 4.0 |
| Aug | 16° / 13° | 92 | 15.1 | 0 | 14.7 | 4.2 |
| Sep | 15° / 12° | 86 | 13.8 | 0 | 12.5 | 3.8 |
| Oct | 12° / 10° | 114 | 16.2 | 0 | 10.2 | 2.8 |
| Nov | 10° / 7° | 113 | 17.3 | 0.1 | 8.2 | 1.8 |
| Dec | 8° / 5° | 109 | 15.7 | 0.4 | 7.1 | 1.2 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Carrickfergus gets about 1082 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 2.5 months, from around Sep 29 to Dec 12, peaking in November at about 58% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Apr 13.
October is the wettest month by volume, with 114 mm over about 16 wet days; April is the driest, with 68 mm. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 55 | 50 | 47 | 44 | 44 | 46 | 49 | 49 | 47 | 52 | 57 | 51 |
| Rain days | 17 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 17 |
| Feb | 50 | 14 |
| Mar | 47 | 15 |
| Apr | 44 | 13 |
| May | 44 | 14 |
| Jun | 46 | 14 |
| Jul | 49 | 15 |
| Aug | 49 | 15 |
| Sep | 47 | 14 |
| Oct | 52 | 16 |
| Nov | 57 | 17 |
| Dec | 51 | 16 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Carrickfergus collects about 1082 mm of rain across 180 wet days — roughly 90 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. October is the wettest month with 114 mm, while April is the driest at just 68 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 31% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 99 | 79 | 76 | 68 | 72 | 82 | 94 | 92 | 86 | 114 | 113 | 109 |
| Rain days | 17 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
| Snow days | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | Snow days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 99 | 17 | 1 |
| Feb | 79 | 14 | 1 |
| Mar | 76 | 15 | 1 |
| Apr | 68 | 13 | 0 |
| May | 72 | 14 | 0 |
| Jun | 82 | 14 | 0 |
| Jul | 94 | 15 | 0 |
| Aug | 92 | 15 | 0 |
| Sep | 86 | 14 | 0 |
| Oct | 114 | 16 | 0 |
| Nov | 113 | 17 | 0 |
| Dec | 109 | 16 | 0 |
Snow in Carrickfergus
Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.
Carrickfergus averages about 3 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Dec 31 to Mar 13 — about 2.4 months.
February is snowiest, with roughly 1.0 day of snow and an estimated 3 cm of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 12 cm of snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow days | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Snowfall (cm) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Snow days | Snowfall (cm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | 3 |
| Feb | 1 | 3 |
| Mar | 1 | 3 |
| Apr | 0 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 2 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Carrickfergus, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around March 24 and lasts for 2.7 months, ending around June 13. The clearest month is May, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 34% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around June 14 and lasts for 2.3 months, ending around August 21. The cloudiest month is July, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 76% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 34 | 34 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 |
| Cloudier (%) | 73 | 73 | 73 | 66 | 66 | 72 | 76 | 74 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 73 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 73 |
| Feb | 27 | 73 |
| Mar | 27 | 73 |
| Apr | 34 | 66 |
| May | 34 | 66 |
| Jun | 28 | 72 |
| Jul | 24 | 76 |
| Aug | 26 | 74 |
| Sep | 28 | 72 |
| Oct | 27 | 73 |
| Nov | 26 | 74 |
| Dec | 27 | 73 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 13, brings about 17 hours of light; the shortest, around December 13, only 7 hours — a swing of roughly 10 hours.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 7.6 | 9.3 | 11.5 | 13.7 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 14.7 | 12.5 | 10.2 | 8.2 | 7.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 8:46 | 7:58 | 6:49 | 5:30 | 4:25 | 3:54 | 4:13 | 5:06 | 6:04 | 7:03 | 8:06 | 8:49 |
| Sunset (PM) | 4:19 | 5:17 | 6:16 | 7:17 | 8:14 | 8:53 | 8:45 | 7:49 | 6:31 | 5:14 | 4:11 | 3:49 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.6 | 8:46 | 4:19 |
| Feb | 9.3 | 7:58 | 5:17 |
| Mar | 11.5 | 6:49 | 6:16 |
| Apr | 13.7 | 5:30 | 7:17 |
| May | 15.8 | 4:25 | 8:14 |
| Jun | 16.9 | 3:54 | 8:53 |
| Jul | 16.5 | 4:13 | 8:45 |
| Aug | 14.7 | 5:06 | 7:49 |
| Sep | 12.5 | 6:04 | 6:31 |
| Oct | 10.2 | 7:03 | 5:14 |
| Nov | 8.2 | 8:06 | 4:11 |
| Dec | 7.1 | 8:49 | 3:49 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Carrickfergus averages about 4 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 2 and 6 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 2.7 months, from around Mar 23 to Jun 11. The sunniest month is May, with roughly 5 sunny days (gloomy).
The greyest month is August, down near 3 sunny days — about 52% fewer than the May peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 3 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 4 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 5 | Gloomy |
| May | 5 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 3 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 3 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 3 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 3 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 3 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 4 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 4 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Carrickfergus, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in August, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 0% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 97 | 81 | 73 | 88 | 98 | 100 | 100 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 27 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 97 | 3 |
| Jul | 81 | 19 |
| Aug | 73 | 27 |
| Sep | 88 | 12 |
| Oct | 98 | 2 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Carrickfergus is typically breezy, near 21 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.1 months, from around Sep 30 to Apr 2. The windiest month is January, averaging about 25 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Apr 3 to Sep 29, with July the calmest month at about 16 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 25 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | breezy | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | breezy |
| Feb | 24 | breezy |
| Mar | 22 | breezy |
| Apr | 20 | light breeze |
| May | 18 | light breeze |
| Jun | 17 | light breeze |
| Jul | 16 | light breeze |
| Aug | 17 | light breeze |
| Sep | 20 | light breeze |
| Oct | 22 | breezy |
| Nov | 24 | breezy |
| Dec | 25 | breezy |
Best time to visit Carrickfergus
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Carrickfergus throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid June, Carrickfergus is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Carrickfergus for general outdoor tourist activities is from early June to late September, with a peak score in the second week of August.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| Rating | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | fair | fair | poor | poor | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.9 | poor |
| Feb | 0.9 | poor |
| Mar | 1.2 | poor |
| Apr | 1.8 | poor |
| May | 2.7 | poor |
| Jun | 3.5 | poor |
| Jul | 4.0 | fair |
| Aug | 4.1 | fair |
| Sep | 3.8 | fair |
| Oct | 2.8 | poor |
| Nov | 1.8 | poor |
| Dec | 1.2 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Carrickfergus rarely gets warm enough to lift this score — no time of year really suits hot-weather activities here.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Carrickfergus, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around August (highs near 16°C), the essentials are a warm layer and rain gear. In the cold season around February (highs near 7°C), pack a warm layer, a heavy coat, rain gear and a windbreaker.
In August, Carrickfergus sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 13°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer. About 15 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Carrickfergus
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 18 km away) is warmest in September at about 14°C and coldest in March near 8°C.
The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Bracing |
| Feb | 8 | Bracing |
| Mar | 8 | Bracing |
| Apr | 8 | Bracing |
| May | 9 | Bracing |
| Jun | 11 | Bracing |
| Jul | 12 | Bracing |
| Aug | 13 | Bracing |
| Sep | 14 | Bracing |
| Oct | 14 | Bracing |
| Nov | 12 | Bracing |
| Dec | 11 | Bracing |
UV index (midday) in Carrickfergus by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Carrickfergus peaks around May 22 at about 5 (high) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 0 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 5 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Level | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | Low |
| Feb | 1 | Low |
| Mar | 2 | Moderate |
| Apr | 3 | Moderate |
| May | 5 | High |
| Jun | 5 | High |
| Jul | 5 | High |
| Aug | 5 | Moderate |
| Sep | 3 | Moderate |
| Oct | 2 | Low |
| Nov | 1 | Low |
| Dec | 0 | Low |
Average hourly UV index in Carrickfergus
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in May the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 6.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended). Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 0 | 0 |
| May | 6.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 6.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 7 | 0 |
| Aug | 6 | 0 |
| Sep | 2 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Growing season
Carrickfergus is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 99 | 99 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 99 | 0 |
| Feb | 99 | 0 |
| Mar | 99 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 99 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Carrickfergus banks about 449 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 65 | 119 | 130 | 94 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 0 |
| May | 9 |
| Jun | 65 |
| Jul | 119 |
| Aug | 130 |
| Sep | 94 |
| Oct | 32 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Carrickfergus receives about 2.7 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 0.4 and 5.2 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 5.8 months, from around Mar 23 to Sep 16. The brightest month is June, averaging about 5.1 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is December, down near 0.5 kWh/m² — roughly 91% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 0.6 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Level | Dim | Dim | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Dim | Dim | Dim |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.6 | Dim |
| Feb | 1.3 | Dim |
| Mar | 2.5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 4.0 | Moderate |
| May | 5.1 | Bright |
| Jun | 5.1 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.7 | Bright |
| Aug | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Sep | 2.8 | Moderate |
| Oct | 1.6 | Dim |
| Nov | 0.8 | Dim |
| Dec | 0.5 | Dim |
Where is Carrickfergus?
Carrickfergus sits at 54.7°N, 5.8°W, 7 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Newtownabbey, 9.0 km away.
Topography around Carrickfergus
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Carrickfergus.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Carrickfergus has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 171 m around an average of 25 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 447 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 860 m.
The land around Carrickfergus is covered by water (47%) and grassland (25%) within 3 km, grassland (46%) and water (30%) within 16 km, and water (49%) and grassland (43%) within 80 km.
United Kingdom travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type D / G / M
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 89% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $57,602
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.7 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 100%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 1.1
- per 100k, 2021
- Road deaths
- 3.2
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Carrickfergus (54.7158°, -5.8058°, elevation 7 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).