Met Éireann has said that Ireland’s climate has become wetter and warmer over the past three decades.
The national meteorological service has today (Tuesday, July 18) published a comprehensive summary of Ireland’s climate averages between 1991-2020.
The figures represent the 30-year averages for weather variables such as rainfall and temperature.
Met Éireann
Among the most notable findings from the research is an overall increase in Ireland’s air temperature compared to the previous 30-year period.
The average yearly air temperature was 9.8° between 1991-2020, which is an increase of 0.7°.
Mean temperatures are higher across the country for all seasons in the most recent 30-year period.
The annual mean air temperature ranges from 8.5° to 10.8°, coastal areas are warmest in general due to the influence of the sea, while higher grounds are coolest.
The highest monthly mean air temperatures for Ireland are observed in July and August, with monthly mean air temperature of 15.2° and 15°, respectively.
The lowest monthly mean air temperatures were recorded in January at 5.3°.
The research also shows that sunshine hours increased by approximately 5%, when compared to the 1961-1990 period.
Met Éireann said that May is the sunniest month of the year with an average total of 189.6 hours, followed by June on 172.8 hours.
The analysis reveals that annual average rainfall for Ireland stood at 1,288mm from 1991-2020.
This is an increase of around 7% when compared to the 1961-1990 period.
The west and north of the country had the greatest increases in annual rainfall.
Annual average rainfall ranges from 878mm in regions along the east coast to 2,044mm in the southwest mountainous regions.
Winds were generally strongest in the northwest of the country in the 30-year period.
Commenting on the report, Met Éireann climatologist and project lead, Mary Curley, said: “We know that the atmosphere is warming and what we’re seeing at the local and national scale fits the international picture.
“Importantly, the data provides information about typical climate conditions for a particular location and is a crucial benchmark for weather and climate conditions.
“This serves as an important resource for government and relevant stakeholders to enable informed decision making to benefit society,” she added.
“While these averages give us an up-to-date baseline to compare our current and future weather to, it’s important to remember that weather patterns can vary significantly from year to year,” Curley said.
The release of these findings by Met Éireann comes ahead of the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) publication of the Global Climate Averages for 1991-2020, due to take place this August.
Met Éireann contributes to the development of this global dataset through the provision of data from Ireland’s equivalent 30-year period averages.