After weeks of storms, torrential rain, flooding, fallen trees and electricity cuts, most people may not need a report to tell them, but it is official, winter 2013/2014 was the wettest on record .
Valentia, Co Kerry experienced the wettest winter since records began 148 years ago at 183 per cent of the long term average, Met Éireann said in its Winter 2013/2014 summary report.
Over half of stations across the State reported the wettest winter on record. Carlow recorded more than double its long term average rainfall at 208 per cent .
The wettest day of the winter season, from December 2013 to February 2014, was February 17th at Ballyhaise, Co Cavan with 34.5mm. This was the station’s wettest winter day since 2008.
In some stations almost 90 per cent of the month was wet. Newport Co Mayo recorded 80 wet days (a day with 1mm or more rain) while Phoenix Park, Dublin recorded 50 wet days.
It was also the wettest February since records began, with many stations recording 27 of 28 days as wet.
Ten minutes of mean hurricane force winds of 65 knots (120km/h) were recorded at Mace Head on February 12th. Also on the same day a ten minute violent storm of 113km/h (61 knots) was recorded at Sherkin Island (Co Cork) and Shannon Airport.
There were gales for winds on 23 days during the month while lightning activity was recorded on over half the days of the month.
At Dublin Airport the mean windspeed of 26km/h (14.4knots) was its highest in over 70 years.
Winds were also well above average over the winter. The highest gust was recorded at Shannon Airport at 159km/h on February 12th. This was the station’s highest for winter on record (68 years). The highest mean speed of wind was at Mace Head at 120km/h on February 12th.
A marine record was also broken in February when a new maximum wave of 25 metres was reported at Kinsale Energy Gas Platform on February 12th.
