# Aldergrove, County Antrim

Aldergrove is a hamlet and townland sub-division in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Seacash and parish of Killead – 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Antrim and 18 miles (29 km) west of Belfast. It is part of the Borough of Antrim and Newtownabbey.
The name Aldergrove is more commonly used to describe the major airfield to the north east of the hamlet. Two long runways serve both the civil Belfast International Airport and the British Army's Aldergrove Flying Station (formerly the RAF base RAF Aldergrove).
The first jet aircraft to make a non-stop transatlantic flight flew from Aldergrove on 21 February 1951: An RAF English Electric Canberra B Mk 2 (serial number WD932) flown by Squadron Leader A Callard of the A&AEE flew to Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. The flight covered almost 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km) in four hours and 37 minutes. The aircraft was being flown to the United States to act as a pattern aircraft for the Martin B-57 Canberra.
Aldergrove railway station opened on 13 November 1871, and closed in September 1960.

## Climate

Climate data for Belfast International Airport WMO ID: 03917; coordinates 54°39′50″N 6°13′30″W﻿ / ﻿54.66376°N 6.22512°W﻿ / 54.66376; -6.22512﻿ (BFS); elevation: 63 m (207 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1930–present :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) | 15.6 (60.1) | 20.2 (68.4) | 21.8 (71.2) | 26.1 (79.0) | 29.5 (85.1) | 30.8 (87.4) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.1 (80.8) | 21.8 (71.2) | 17.1 (62.8) | 15.0 (59.0) | 30.8 (87.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.3 (45.1) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.7 (49.5) | 12.3 (54.1) | 15.2 (59.4) | 17.6 (63.7) | 19.1 (66.4) | 18.7 (65.7) | 16.6 (61.9) | 13.1 (55.6) | 9.8 (49.6) | 7.6 (45.7) | 12.9 (55.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) | 4.9 (40.8) | 6.3 (43.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 11.2 (52.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 15.4 (59.7) | 15.2 (59.4) | 13.2 (55.8) | 10.2 (50.4) | 7.1 (44.8) | 5.0 (41.0) | 9.6 (49.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) | 2.0 (35.6) | 3.0 (37.4) | 4.7 (40.5) | 7.1 (44.8) | 9.9 (49.8) | 11.8 (53.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 9.9 (49.8) | 7.2 (45.0) | 4.4 (39.9) | 2.4 (36.3) | 6.4 (43.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.8 (9.0) | −11.7 (10.9) | −12.2 (10.0) | −5.1 (22.8) | −3.3 (26.1) | −1.2 (29.8) | 2.2 (36.0) | 1.1 (34.0) | −2.2 (28.0) | −4.4 (24.1) | −8.6 (16.5) | −14.9 (5.2) | −14.9 (5.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 77.0 (3.03) | 63.3 (2.49) | 60.6 (2.39) | 55.6 (2.19) | 55.9 (2.20) | 68.0 (2.68) | 78.8 (3.10) | 84.5 (3.33) | 69.2 (2.72) | 88.0 (3.46) | 87.7 (3.45) | 83.5 (3.29) | 872.0 (34.33) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 14.7 | 13.2 | 13.0 | 12.0 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 12.1 | 14.0 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 161.3 |
| Average snowy days | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 89 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 90 | 89 | 91 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 48.7 | 72.1 | 108.4 | 157.8 | 197.9 | 167.6 | 152.0 | 146.4 | 121.5 | 91.2 | 61.3 | 47.1 | 1,372 |
| Source 1: Met Office NOAA (relative humidity and snow days 1961–-1990) ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: KNMI Starlings Roost Weather ||||||||||||||