Winter was one of mildest on records, but ended with three storms in a row

Temperatures were above average for the season

The winter just past was one of the mildest on record with temperatures above normal everywhere.

Temperatures ranged from 0.8 degrees above the seasonal average at Dublin Airport to 1.8 degrees in Finner, Co Donegal.

The lowest temperature of the winter was a relatively mild for extreme temperatures of minus 4.8 degrees recorded at Mount Dillon in Co Roscommon on Monday, January 17th.

The highest temperature of the season was the 15.3 degrees recorded at Moore Park, Co Cork on February 16th.

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In its seasonal statement, Met Éireann stated that the winter was dominated by the jetstream being to the north with the warmer weather on the southern side for most of the winter.

February was mild and wet with low-pressure to the north and high pressure to the south bringing a mostly westerly airflow.

During the first week and a half, low-pressure to the north steered several weather fronts, interspersed with showers, across the country from the west.

High pressure to the south kept rainfall amounts relatively low during this period, especially in the South and East.

This was broken by a particularly wet and windy period between the 13th and 21st, when the jetsream steered three named storms, Dudley, Eunice and Franklin, across the country.

The season's highest gust was reported at Mace Head, Co Galway on Sunday February 20th with 75 knots (138 km/h) during Storm Franklin.

The season's highest 10-minute mean wind speed was 57 knots (105 km/h) at Roches Point, Co Cork on Friday February 18th during Storm Eunice.

February was another very mild month with temperatures ranging from 0.9 degrees above the monthly average at Markree, Co Sligo to 1.8 degrees above the average at the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

Rainfall levels in February were above average for the month everywhere as the three named storms brought with them a lot of rainfall especially to the west of Ireland.

Casement Aerodrome in Dublin, Newport in Co Mayo, Gurteen in Co Sligo and Malin Head in Co Donegal all had rainfall levels that were more than twice the monthly average for February.

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times