The pattern is similar with ground frost, with on average around 100 days of ground frost in the lowlands and over 140 in the mountains. The number of frost days in Ireland have declined massively over the past decade. The largest season decrease has been known to take place in winter.
Frost is rarer along the coast, in urban areas and also in western and southern areas.
Roches Point,
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...
receives the fewest days with air frost, with an average of 7.0 days with air frost recorded annually.
Kilkenny
Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.
Kilken ...
,
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...
receives the most days with air frost, with an average of 53.0 days with air frost recorded annually.
In
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
,
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport ( Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south o ...
records air frost on average 24.3 days per year, while
Casement Aerodrome
Casement Aerodrome ( ga, Aeradróm Mhic Easmainn) or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the southwest of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole airfield of ...
(which is further inland) records air frost on average 41.3 days per year.
Sunshine
The sunniest months are May and June. During these months sunshine duration averages between 5 and 6½ hours per day over most of the country. The southeast gets the most sunshine, averaging over 7 hours a day in early summer. December is the most overcast month, with average daily sunshine ranging from about 1 hour in the north to almost 2 hours in the southeast. Over the year as a whole, most areas get an average of between 3¼ and 3¾ hours of sunshine each day. Irish skies are completely covered by cloud roughly half of the time.
The sunniest part of the island is the southeast coast.
Rosslare,
County Wexford
County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí C ...
was historically the sunniest area, however, the station was closed by Met Éireann in 2007. The sunniest station throughout the 1981 to 2010 period was Ballyrichard HSE in
Arklow
Arklow (; ; , ) is a town in County Wicklow on the southeast coast of Ireland. The town is overlooked by Ballymoyle Hill. It was founded by the Vikings in the ninth century. Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 re ...
, County Wicklow, which received an average of 4.41 hours of sunshine per day.
The cloudiest (i.e. least sunny) parts of the island are generally the west and northwest of the country. Over the 1971-2000 averaging period,
Claremorris
Claremorris (; ) is a town in County Mayo in the west of Ireland, at the junction of the N17 and the N60 national routes. It is the fastest growing town in the county. There was a 31% increase in the town's population between 2006 and 2011 an ...
,
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Counci ...
was the cloudiest station, receiving just 1,072 hours of sunshine per year. From 1981 to 2010,
Birr,
County Offaly
County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the Ancient Ireland ...
, in the Midlands, was the most cloudy (overcast) station, receiving on average 3.2 hours of sunshine per day, considerably less than the stations at
Malin Head
Malin Head ( ga, Cionn Mhálanna) is the most northerly point of mainland Ireland, located in the townland of Ardmalin on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal. The head's northernmost point is called Dunalderagh at latitude 55.38ºN. It ...
in the north or
Belmullet
Belmullet (, IPA: �bʲeːlənˠˈwʊɾˠhəd̪ˠ is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of 1,019 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. It is the commercial and cultural heart of the barony of Erris, wh ...
in the west.
Inland areas tend to receive less sunshine than coastal areas due to the convective development of clouds over land. Cloud develops because of vertical air currents caused by thermal heating of the ground.
Precipitation
Precipitation
Rainfall is the most common form of precipitation on the island, and is extremely common throughout Ireland, although some parts of the west coast receive twice as much rain as the east coast. Rainfall in Ireland normally comes from Atlantic frontal systems which travel northeast over the island, bringing cloud and rain. Most of the eastern half of the country has between of rainfall in the year. Rainfall in the west generally averages between . In many mountainous districts rainfall exceeds per year. The wettest months almost everywhere are December and January. April is the driest month generally, but in many southern parts, June is the driest.
The average number of "wet days" (days with more than of rain) ranges from about 151 days a year along the east and southeast coasts, to about 225 days a year in parts of the west.
The wettest weather station is Glanagimla, Leenane, Co. Galway, which averages rain per year. The wettest synoptic weather station is Valentia Island, which receives of rain per year, on average.
The driest weather station is at Ringsend, Co. Dublin, which receives of rain per year, on average.
The weather station with the highest number of "wet days" is Belmullet, with 193 days per year, while the station with the lowest number of "wet days" is Dublin Airport, with 128 days per year.
Rainfall records
Source:
*The driest year recorded in Ireland was 1887, with of rain recorded at
Glasnevin
Glasnevin (, also known as ''Glas Naedhe'', meaning "stream of O'Naeidhe" after a local stream and an ancient chieftain) is a neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the River Tolka. While primarily residential, Glasnevin is also home ...
, County Dublin.
*The longest drought in Ireland occurred in
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2 ...
between 3 April 1938 and 10 May 1938 (37 days).
*The greatest monthly total was ; recorded at the
Cummeragh Mountains, County Kerry, in October 1996.
*The greatest annual total was ; recorded at
Ballaghbeena Gap in 1960.
*The greatest daily total was ; recorded at
Cloone Lake, County Kerry, on 18 September 1993.
Snowfall
Severe cold weather is uncommon in Ireland with the majority of winter precipitation coming in the form of rain, although hills and mountainous regions in the country can commonly see up to 30 days of snowfall annually: the
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains (, archaic: ''Cualu'') form the largest continuous upland area in the Republic of Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow ...
region sometimes experiences 50 or more days of snowfall each year. Most low-lying regions of the island only see a few days of lying snow per year (from December to March inclusive), or may see no snow at all during some winters.
However, there are preparations for snow and ice, including the distribution of grit, salt, and other snow-treatable minerals. In late 2011, the Irish Government set up "Winter-Ready", in order to prepare the country for such severe weather.
Due to its variability (which is mainly because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean,
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the Unit ...
and
North Atlantic Drift
The North Atlantic Current (NAC), also known as North Atlantic Drift and North Atlantic Sea Movement, is a powerful warm western boundary current within the Atlantic Ocean that extends the Gulf Stream northeastward.
The NAC originates from where ...
, as well as Ireland's northerly latitude and vulnerability to Siberian/Arctic winds) Ireland's weather during the winter months is difficult to predict. The aforementioned factors make both extremely low temperatures and relatively mild temperatures possible.
The snowiest weather station is
Clones
Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to:
Places
* Clones, County Fermanagh
* Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland
Biology
* Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
,
County Monaghan
County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County C ...
, which receives, on average, 18 days of snow and/or sleet per year. Of these, 6.2 days have snow lying at 09:00.
The least snowy weather station is
Valentia Island
Valentia Island () is one of Ireland's most westerly points. It lies off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial Bridge at Portmagee. A car ferry also departs from ...
,
County Kerry
County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
; which receives, on average, 5.6 days of snow and/or sleet per year. Of these, 0.8 days have snow lying at 09:00.
Hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...
, like snow and sleet, is also rare in Ireland; however, it can occur at any time of the year. It is most common in spring during thunderstorms.
Malin Head
Malin Head ( ga, Cionn Mhálanna) is the most northerly point of mainland Ireland, located in the townland of Ardmalin on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal. The head's northernmost point is called Dunalderagh at latitude 55.38ºN. It ...
, County Donegal receives the most hail, with an average of 48.4 days per year.
Roche's Point, County Cork receives the least hail, with an average of 8.0 days per year.
Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are somet ...
are quite rare in Ireland. They are more likely to happen in late spring, although they can occur at any time of the year.
Cork Airport
Cork Airport ( ga, Aerfort Chorcaí, ) is the second-largest of the three principal international airports in Ireland, after Dublin and ahead of Shannon. It is located in Cork City, south of the city centre in an area known as Farmers Cro ...
,
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...
experiences the least thunder; receiving it 3.7 days per year on average.
Valentia Island
Valentia Island () is one of Ireland's most westerly points. It lies off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial Bridge at Portmagee. A car ferry also departs from ...
,
County Kerry
County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
experiences the most thunder; receiving it 7.1 days per year on average.
Wind
Generally, the coast tends to be windier than inland areas, and the west tends to be windier than the east.
The station with the highest mean wind speed is
Malin Head
Malin Head ( ga, Cionn Mhálanna) is the most northerly point of mainland Ireland, located in the townland of Ardmalin on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal. The head's northernmost point is called Dunalderagh at latitude 55.38ºN. It ...
,
County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrcon ...
, averaging at . Malin Head also receives the most gale-force winds, recording them on average 66.0 days per year.
The station with the lowest mean wind speed is
Kilkenny
Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.
Kilken ...
,
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...
; averaging at .
The station that records the lowest number of gale-force winds is
Birr,
County Offaly
County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the Ancient Ireland ...
; recording them on average 1.2 days per year.
The highest wind speed ever recorded in Ireland was at
Fastnet Lighthouse
Fastnet Lighthouse is a 54m high lighthouse situated on the remote Fastnet Rock in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the most southerly point of Ireland and lies southwest of Cape Clear Island and from County Cork on the Irish mainland. The current l ...
,
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...
on 16 October 2017.
Tornadoes are very rare in Ireland, with around less than ten reported every year - mostly in August.
Fog
Fog is more common inland and on higher altitudes; mainly during winter and during the morning at times of high pressure.
The foggiest station is that at
Cork Airport
Cork Airport ( ga, Aerfort Chorcaí, ) is the second-largest of the three principal international airports in Ireland, after Dublin and ahead of Shannon. It is located in Cork City, south of the city centre in an area known as Farmers Cro ...
,
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...
, which has 99.5 days of fog per year.
The least foggy station is that at
Valentia Island
Valentia Island () is one of Ireland's most westerly points. It lies off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial Bridge at Portmagee. A car ferry also departs from ...
,
County Kerry
County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
, which has 8.9 days of fog per year.
Visibility
Visibility is generally very good, because of the proximity of industry to the coast, allowing breezes to disperse any smog.
Mist and fog often occur, as well as coastal fog in the east,
but it is generally not long-lasting. However, in winter, it can be slow to clear.
Climate change
Climate charts
See also
*
Geography of Ireland
:Ireland is an island in Northwestern Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean. The island lies on the European continental shelf, part of the Eurasian Plate. The island's main geographical features include low central plains surrounded by coasta ...
*
Climate change in the Republic of Ireland
References
External links
Met Éireann
{{DEFAULTSORT:Climate Of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...