Ireland Suffers Through Its Wettest Summer In Fifty Years

For the second successive summer, rainfall totals were above normal everywhere in Ireland and were more than twice the average in the east and southeast of the country.

Dublin Airport had its wettest summer since 1958, while it was the wettest at Cork Airport since records began there in 1962.

Except for a few parts of the west and northwest, each of the summer months was wetter than normal.

There were some exceptionally heavy daily falls throughout the season, particularly in the period from late July to mid-August.

A daily fall of 90mm was recorded at Castlemahon, Co. Limerick, on July 31st, while Belderrig, Co. Mayo, measured 100mm on August 13th; Dublin Airport's fall of 76mm on August 9th was its highest daily fall for summer since June 1993.

Rainfall was recorded over some parts of the country on each day between July 28th and August 21st.

A total of between 42 and 48 wetdays (days with 1mm or more rainfall) was recorded at most stations for the 3-month period, compared with the normal range for summer of between 32 and 38 wetdays.

Mean air temperatures for the season were a little higher than normal for the 1961-90 period, but it was nevertheless the coolest summer since 2002 in many places.

Mean temperatures for each of the summer months were within half a degree of normal generally.

While mean minimum values for the summer were above normal everywhere, mean maximum temperatures were below normal except in the north and northwest.

This reflects the absence of high daytime values throughout almost all of the summer period; maximum values were above 20°C generally on fewer than ten days, mainly in the period July 23rd to 28th.

Sunshine totals for the season were below normal almost everywhere and were well below normal in the east and south.

It was the dullest summer for between 6 and 14 years at most stations.

The first half of June was sunny, but very dull conditions prevailed thereafter.

Almost all stations recorded their sunniest day of the season in the period June 5th to 7th.

Low pressure from the Atlantic was blamed for exceptionally heavy rainfalls which led to flooding in many areas.