Aldergrove, County Antrim facts for kids
Aldergrove is a small place in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It's like a tiny village, also known as a hamlet. It's part of a larger area called a townland sub-division, within the area of Seacash and the parish of Killead. Aldergrove is about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Antrim town and 18 miles (29 km) west of Belfast. It belongs to the Borough of Antrim and Newtownabbey.
The name Aldergrove is often used to talk about the big airfield nearby. This airfield has two long runways. It is home to both the public Belfast International Airport and the British Army's Aldergrove Flying Station. This army base used to be known as RAF Aldergrove.
Aldergrove's Aviation History
Aldergrove has a special place in aviation history. The very first jet aircraft to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean started its journey here. This amazing flight happened on February 21, 1951.
A Record-Breaking Flight
An RAF (Royal Air Force) English Electric Canberra B Mk 2 jet, with the serial number WD932, took off from Aldergrove. It was flown by Squadron Leader A Callard. The jet flew all the way to Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. The journey covered nearly 1,800 nautical miles (about 3,300 km). It took only four hours and 37 minutes! This jet was then flown to the United States. It served as a model for the American-built Martin B-57 Canberra aircraft.
Aldergrove Railway Station
Aldergrove also had a railway station for many years. The Aldergrove railway station first opened on November 13, 1871. It served the community for a long time before closing in September 1960.
Climate
| Climate data for Belfast International Airport, elevation: 63 m (207 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1958–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
20.2 (68.4) |
21.8 (71.2) |
25.0 (77.0) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.0 (86.0) |
28.0 (82.4) |
25.6 (78.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.4 (61.5) |
15.0 (59.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
| 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) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
2.2 (36.0) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−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 | |||||||||||||
