Data shows 2004 sunnier, warmer than average

Last year was warmer and sunnier than average in most of the country, with rainfall close to normal, according to figures released today by Met Éireann.

Annual mean temperatures were above average for the eleventh successive year, ranging between 10 and 11°C. This is around half a degree over normal. Average temperatures are measured against records taken between 1962 and 1990.

There was above average sunshine, although last year failed to surpass 2003's record levels. February and March last year were exceptionally sunny, with some areas reporting record occurrences. However, the whole month of November was extremely dull.

The sunniest day was on June 15th, with Cork Airport recording 16 hours of sunshine. This was the highest daily value recorded by the weather station at the airport since it opened in 1962.

The sunniest place in the country was Rosslare, Co Wexford closely followed by Clones, Co Monaghan. The cloudiest was Birr, Co Offally.

There were 120 "wet" days during the year in the south, while the northwest suffered 200 such days. A "wet" day in meteorological terms is one on which over one millimetre of rainfall fell.

May and November were the driest months in comparison to average annual rainfall figures, while March and October were the wettest, particularly in the south of the country.

The heaviest rainfalls of the year happened in the second half of October. The storms of October 27th/28th, when up to 150 millimetres of rain fell in 48 hours, lead to severe flooding in the south and southeast.

The highest mean annual temperature was 11.2°C, recorded at both Valentia and Rosslare. The hottest day of the year was August 2nd, with a balmy 27.3°C experienced at Birr. The coldest recorded day was on January 29th in Kilkenny, where the figure of -7.7°C was the lowest since 1986.

Windspeeds for the year were not unusual, ranging between 9 and 11 knots (10 to 13 mph) at most weather stations, rising to between 13 and 15 knots (15 and 17 mph) in the north and northwest.

The strongest wind on record last year was at Belmullet, which recorded gusts of up to 73 knots (84 mph) on February 3rd. Overall, the windiest day of the year around the country was March 20th.