Ireland has a temperate maritime climate, that’s best described as being mild, moist and changeable. Ireland weather is also characterized by the abundant rainfall the country receives and the notable absence of temperature extremes. In comparison to climates typical of other countries in the same latitude, Ireland weather is considerably warmer. Summers in Ireland are generally warm and the winters mild, thanks to the country’s geographical position: lying in the Atlantic, the Gulf Stream warms Ireland all year.
Temperature
Ireland’s inland areas are generally cooler in winter and warmer in summer in comparison to the coastal regions.
The south-west coast has the warmest weather in Ireland, with the highest mean temperature of 10.4°C (50.7°F) occurring in the Valentia Island, County Kerry. Understandably inland houses the country’s coldest areas. Clones, County Monaghan and Mullingar, County Westmeath both have the lowest annual mean daily average temperature, at 8.8°C (47.8°F).
As extreme heat does not usually intercept Ireland weather patterns, temperatures exceeding 30°C (86°F) usually occur only once or twice every decade. Ireland’s summer temperatures usually linger around 29°C (84°F), during the winter season freezing occurs occasionally, although temperatures below -5°C (23°F) are very rare. Mean daily winter temperatures vary from 4°C to 7°C (39°F to 45°F), and mean daily summer temperatures vary from 14.5°C to 16°C (58°F to 61°F).
Sunshine
May and June are by far Ireland’s sunniest months, averaging between 5 and 6½ hours of sunshine per day in most parts of the country. During early summer the south-east is blessed with an average of 7 hours of sunshine per day, and is considered to be Ireland’s sunniest regions. In sharp contrast, December is a rather gloomy time to be in Ireland. With only about 1 hour of sunshine per day in the north and almost 2 hours in the south-east, December is also the dullest month, with clouds completely covering the Irish skyline for the best part of the month.
Rainfall
Ireland is also renewed for the abundant rainfall it receives. However some parts of the west coast receive considerably larger amounts of precipitation that is often four times as much as that of the east coast.
Most of the eastern half of the country has between 750 and 1000 millimeters of rainfall in the year, the west generally averages between 1000 and 1250 millimeters and in most of the mountainous districts rainfall exceeds 2000 millimetres per year.
December and January are the wettest months of the year, and April the driest, although in many southern areas June is the driest. The east and south-east coasts average about 150 wet days per year, their numbers increasing to 255 in parts of the west.
Snow & other phenomena
Snow in Ireland falls only during the winter months and in small doses. Hail is equally rare, but can occur at any time of the year, while thunder usually intercepts Ireland weather’s normal patterns during the summer season. Generally wind affects the coastal areas more than it does the inland regions, and the west is windier than the east. On the other hand, the inland areas and the higher altitudes tend to experience fog mainly during winter and during the morning at times of high pressure.
