Ireland has become warmer and wetter while May is sunniest month, 30-year Met Éireann study shows

Ireland has become both warmer and wetter in the past 30 years, according to a study from Met Éireann.

In its analysis of the climate averages from 1991 to 2020, the meteorological body said the average yearly air temperature in Ireland stands at 9.8 degrees, an increase of 0.7 degrees from the previous 30-year time frame.

According to the forecaster, annual sunshine hours have increased by about 5 per cent when compared with the 1961 to 1990 period. May is listed as the sunniest month of the year, followed by June.

During the past 30 years, the country has also seen a 7 per cent increase in rainfall, with an average annual figure of 1,288mm. Regional variations exist, said Met Éireann, with the west and north of the country displaying the greatest increases in annual rainfall.

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“We know that the atmosphere is warming and what we’re seeing at the local and national scale fits the international picture,” said Mary Curley, Met Éireann climatologist and project lead.

“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.

“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.”

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Met Éireann calculates and updates Ireland’s 30-year climate averages every 10 years. According to the forecaster, from 1991 to 2020, spring was the season that saw the greatest temperature rise of 0.8 degrees in its average annual temperature. Mean temperatures increased for all months of the year, with the greatest increase of 1 degree seen in May, and the lowest of 0.2 degrees in October.

In total, 1991 to 2020 saw 63 more hours of annual sunshine than the previous 30 years, a 5 per cent increase. May is the sunniest month of the year with an average 189.6 hours of sunshine, while December is the darkest month with 44.1 hours of sunshine.

During the most recent 30-year period, spring was a drier season than summer, seeing an average of 256mm of rainfall followed by 282mm during the summer months. All regions of the country saw an increase in the annual rainfall averages. In the east, there was an increase of about 3-6 per cent, with the west and north of the country seeing 6-12 per cent more rainfall.

Met Éireann has said it will publish a comprehensive technical report on the 30-year averages from 1991 to 2020 later this year.