Met Eireann confirms summer's success

Ireland has not quite become the new European sun destination but temperatures this summer were well up on previous years and…

Ireland has not quite become the new European sun destination but temperatures this summer were well up on previous years and there was substantially less rain, according to Met Éireann.

While the final figures for the summer months will not be available until next week, Met Éireann spokesman Mr Pat Clarke said it had been generally warmer and drier than in other years.

"In general terms, it was a good summer with some decent sunshine. We had some very high temperatures, up to 30 degrees, which is pretty high for Ireland. The rain for August was between 10 and 30 per cent of the average rain we would get."

Mr Clarke said the mean air temperature - the combined average day and night temperature - was also higher this month than in previous years. It was 16 degrees in Ulster; 16.7 in Connacht; 17-17.5 degrees in Leinster; and up to 18 degrees in Munster.

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Places enjoying the highest temperatures were Clare and Limerick with over 18 degrees.

In Kilkenny, the mean air temperature was 17.5 degrees in August, compared to an average of 14.7 degrees in previous years. The average rainfall this month was 2mm compared to a normal average of 70mm. In Shannon Airport, the average rainfall was 10mm in August this year, compared to 80mm normally.

The mean air temperature there was 18.2 compared to 15.5 for an average August. Met Éireann predicted cooler and fresher weather over the weekend with some showers but many places remaining dry.

Mr Clarke said the dry weather would continue for the first few days of next week, with normal temperatures.