Summer 2024 was the coldest summer recorded in nine years, according to provisional data released today (Wednesday, September 4) by Met Éireann.
The average national temperature for summer 2024 was 14.5°C, which is 0.28° below the most recent 1991-2020 long-term average (LTA) and 0.19° below the 1981-2020 LTA.
However, the average national temperature for summer 2024 is 0.25° above the 1961-1990 LTA.
Summer 2024 was the coldest summer since 2015, when the average national temperature was 13.87°.
Met Éireann said that the warmest summer was in 1995 with an average of 16.11°, while the coldest summer was in 1912 with 12.65°.
Met Éireann
Mean air temperatures for the season ranged from 12.8° (0.5 ° below its LTA) at Knock Airport, Co. Mayo to 15° at both Shannon Airport and Phoenix Park, Co. Dublin, the coldest summer since 2015 at both stations.
The season’s highest temperature was reported at Phoenix Park, Co Dublin on June 24 with a temperature of 26.6°. This is the lowest maximum summer temperature for Ireland since 2015.
The season’s lowest minimum air temperature was recorded on June 12 at Claremorris, Co. Mayo with 1.8°, while the lowest grass minimum was -1.4° reported at Mullingar, Co. Westmeath on June 11.
The number of days with ground frost ranged from zero days at a few stations to 5 days at Mullingar, Co Westmeath. Most stations had their coldest summer since 2015.
Rain
Provisional gridded rainfall data suggests that summer 2024 saw an average rainfall total of 237mm, which was 86 % of the 1981-2010 LTA and 39% drier than summer 2023.
Seasonal rainfall totals ranged from 104.7mm (53% of its LTA) at Dublin Airport to 419.0mm (130% of its LTA) at Newport, Co. Mayo.
The season’s wettest day was also recorded at Newport, Co. Mayo with 34.6mm on August 4.
The number of very wet days, with over 10mm of rain, ranged from zero days at Moore Park, Co. Cork to 18 days at Newport, Co. Mayo.
The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded during the season was 15.9 hours at Gurteen, Co. Tipperary on June 19.
The number of dull days ranged from six days at Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin to 17 days at both Valentia Observatory, Co. Kerry and Belmullet, Co. Mayo.
The highest gust recorded in summer 2024 was 96 km/h at Roche’s Point, Co Cork on August 23 during storm Lilian.