It may not have felt like it but the month just past was the warmest May in Ireland on record.
While it was not memorable for sunny days at the seaside, the average temperature was 13.08 degrees, according to Met Éireann, which is 2.53 degrees above the 1961-1990 long-term average.
Compared to the 1991-2020 long-term average for May, the average temperature last month was 1.74 degrees higher.
This was only the second time on record that the May average temperature exceeded 13 degrees. The previous warmest May was in 2008 when the average monthly temperature was only slightly cooler at 13.03 degrees.
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According to Met Éireann, no air frosts were reported for the third consecutive May while 14 of the forecaster’s synoptic weather stations had their highest mean minimum for May on record. The coldest May on record remains May 1923, when the average temperature was 8.67 degrees.
All available monthly sunshine totals were below their long-term averages, with the percentage of monthly sunshine values ranging from 79 per cent at Shannon Airport, Co Clare – its dullest May since 2014 – to 80 per cent recorded at Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin.
Monthly sunshine totals ranged from 121.8 hours at Gurteen, Co Tipperary, to 161.1 at Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry. The highest number of daily sunshine hours was 14.9 hours was recorded at both Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford, on Sunday the 19th and Cork Airport on Monday the 20th.
According to Met Éireann’s monthly report, May 2024 was “calm, dull and thundery at times”.
The forecaster ascribed the dull, thundery conditions to a mixture of slow-moving areas of high and low pressure which lingered over the island in a mostly slack airflow.
It was a relatively dry month in the east and northwest. The month started off wet but became mostly dry between Saturday the 4th and Saturday the 11th as high pressure gradually built over Ireland. This culminated in two warm and sunny days on Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th.
The pleasant conditions did not last however, and thunderstorms broke out in the east on Sunday, May 12th, before widespread frontal rain crossed the country the following day and low pressure moved close to the south coast.
Most of the rain that fell between Tuesday the 14th and Friday the 24th was convective in nature and came in the form of thundery downpours. Further rain crossed the country on Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th as low pressure approached from the west.
The month finished showery as low pressure pulled away and high pressure built from the west. Overall rainfall levels were below average in most places, wettest in the south and north midlands.
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