Climate Change Chart of Isle of Skye, Great Britain

Overview of climate changes

Temperature changes

Averaged across calendar months, monthly mean temperature shows a difference of +0.32 °C compared with the earlier reference period; this unweighted mean summarizes monthly averages rather than a day-weighted annual average, and the values are not daytime maximum temperatures. The largest monthly increase was in June, with a difference of +1.03 °C. By contrast, December recorded the largest monthly decrease, a difference of -0.18 °C; these identify the strongest month-specific changes, not a uniform shift in every month.

Changes in rainfall

Mean daily rainfall, averaged across calendar months, had a difference of +1.36 mm/day in the more recent period. This is an unweighted mean of monthly daily averages, not an annual total or a day-weighted measure, so it describes the aggregate rather than rainfall on every day or in every month. The largest monthly increase occurred in October, a difference of +2.79 mm/day in mean daily rainfall. In April, the largest decrease was a difference of -0.45 mm/day; these monthly comparisons concern daily means, not monthly rainfall totals.

Changes in sunshine duration

Averaged across calendar months, mean daily sunshine duration shows a difference of -0.65 hours/day compared with the earlier reference period. This unweighted summary of monthly daily-hour averages does not imply the same change in each month or on every day. The largest monthly decrease was in May, where mean daily sunshine duration had a difference of -1.57 hours/day. It marks the strongest month-specific decrease in the supplied comparison, rather than a description of sunshine throughout the year.

Changes in snowfall

Mean daily snowfall, averaged across calendar months, had a difference of +0.42 mm/day in the more recent period. This is an unweighted summary of monthly daily averages, not a day-weighted annual average or a monthly total. The largest monthly increase in mean daily snowfall occurred in February, with a difference of +2.91 mm/day. This describes the month with the strongest increase in the supplied comparison and does not mean snowfall changed by the same amount in every month.