Met Éireann has said that its weather station based in Moore Park has recorded its warmest February on record (55 years).
The national meteorological service’s Weather Statement for February 2024, published today (Monday, March 4), shows that the mean temperature last month at the Co. Cork weather station was 8.3 °C, which is 2.5 ° above its long term average (LTA).
Both the month’s highest and lowest air temperatures were also recorded at Moore Park.
The lowest minimum was reported on February 12 with a temperature of -2.2°, while the highest maximum was reported on February 4 and 21 with a temperature of 14.7 °.
Met Éireann
The report shows that all mean air temperatures recorded at weather stations across the country were above average for the month.
Mean temperatures ranged from 6.4 ° at Knock Airport, Co. Mayo (2.2 ° above its LTA), to 9.3 ° at Sherkin Island, Co. Cork (1.8 ° above its LTA) and also its warmest February on record (49 years).
Along with Sherkin Island and Moore Park, five other stations had their warmest February on record: Cork Airport; Roches Point, Co. Cork; Oak Park, Co Carlow; Mount Dillon, Co. Roscommon and Valentia Observatory, Co. Kerry.
The lowest grass minimum was reported at Oak Park, Co. Carlow on Thursday 1 with -6.6 °.
All stations reported ground frost during the month. The number of days with ground frost ranged from two days at both Mace Head, Co. Galway and Belmullet, Co. Mayo to 20 days at Phoenix Park, Co. Dublin.
Met Éireann said that February 2024 was a wet and mild month with the majority of monthly rainfall totals above their 1981-2010 LTA.
Monthly rainfall totals ranged from 64.9mm (134% of its LTA) at Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin to 197.5 mm (156% of its LTA) at Newport, Co. Mayo.
The highest daily rainfall total was 36.4 mm at Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford on February 8, its highest daily fall for February on record (21 years).
The number of rain days ranged from 18 days at Dublin Airport to 29 days at Malin Head, Co. Donegal.
The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded during the month was 9.5 hours at Johnstown Castle on February 26.
Monthly mean wind speeds ranged from 10.7 km/h at Moore Park to 31.3 km/h at Malin Head.
The highest gust was recorded at Malin Head on February 29 with 106 km/h.