August was wettest in six years, says Met Éireann

August was the wettest in six years in some parts of the country, with Dublin airport recording its wettest August day in 72 years .

Rainfall levels reached 173.1mm at the airport – 236 per cent of the average for August - making it the wettest there since 2008, according to Met Éireann’s monthly bulletin.

The forecaster said 84mm of this total was due to heavy rainfall on the 2nd - the wettest August day at the airport since records began in 1942.

The percentages for average rainfall totals were highest in the east, especially at monitoring stations in Dublin, which reported nearly double or more of their expected August rainfall.

Some stations in the Dublin area and in Mullingar reported their wettest August days in between 28 and 64 years.

Met Éireann reported dry conditions in the west and south, with the percentage of long-term average (LTA) values for rainfall lowest at Mace Head in Galway. The area had 57 per cent of its average rainfall for the month - a total of 68mm.

Despite the deluge in some parts, sunshine for the month was still “near or above average”, but Belmullet, Co Mayo and Valentia, Co Kerry reported well above their average values.

Belmullet reported 173 per cent of its long-term average for August, while Valentia enjoyed more than a third above its average - a total of 187.1 hours of sun.

It was cooler than normal everywhere in August, with monthly mean temperatures all below average for the time of year.

Temperatures were nearest their averages in coastal areas of the west, south west and south.

Roche’s Point reported the nearest to average mean temperature at 15.1 degrees - just 0.3 degrees below its average.

Parts of the west and midlands recorded nearly 2 degrees below their values for August, Met Éireann said.

Phoenix Park and Mullingar stations measured about 1.5 degrees below their mean maxima – their lowest for August in about 20 years.

All the monthly highest temperatures were recorded within the first week of August, with the highest overall temperature of 22.5 degrees recorded at Mullingar on the 5th. The lowest recorded was a chilly 1.5 degrees at Mountdillon, Co Roscommon, on the 24th.