Home / Editor's Pick /

Lowest temperature is just after sunrise

09:00
6 January 2023

Coldest time of the day
Lowest temperature is just after sunrise

setting-sun

Did you know that the coldest time of the day is normally about half an hour after sunrise?

That surprises a lot of people because it seems logical that the coldest time should be in the middle of the night. However, all through the night the ground is losing heat and the air is steadily getting colder.

Then the sun pops over the horizon, but its first rays are very weak. When the sun initially rises, there is still more heat being lost then is being received.

After about half an hour or so, the sun is strong enough to add a little warmth and the temperatures can start to rise.

Of course there are plenty of things which can cause the temperature to change during the day. Warm air can drift in from another area or rain can drag the temperature down.

However, if nothing else is affecting the weather, the coldest time of the day will be just after dawn.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Warning map for strong winds during Storm Floris. Red, level three, warnings across northern Scotland, orange, level two, warnings elsewhere in Scotland and north-west Ireland. Yellow, level one, across Ireland and much of England. Only East Anglia with no warnings. On the right, a wind map showing gusts of up to 55 mph.
Sunday 3 August 2025

Gusts up to 85 mph

Widespread warnings for Storm Floris
Monday 4 August 2025

Gusts of 80 mph+

Storm Floris arrives
Perseid meteor shower and airglow above the Seemannskirche church in Prerow.
Tuesday 5 August 2025

Perseids flying overhead

Spot a meteor shower before its peak
All weather news
This might also interest you
Two weather maps of the UK and Ireland. On the left, a wind map showing stronger gusts in the west of Scotland. On the right a weather map showing showers across parts of Wales and England.
Thursday 7 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Showery start on another windy day
Wednesday 30 July 2025

Breakfast brief

Warming but showers remain in places
Wind map of the UK and Ireland, framed to show the Atlantic Ocean where an icon indicates the location of a low-pressure system west of the UK.
Wednesday 6 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Calm day, fresh pressure area tonight
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.ie

facebooktwitteryouTubeContact uslinkList
Privacy Policy | Legal info | Accessibility statement