“EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH TEMPERATURES” towards the end of May saw the record temperature for the month broken by over 2C, during what was the third-warmest spring ever recorded. 

Met Éireann has published its climate statement for the month and noted that while May was “relatively cool” for the first two thirds, the final third of the month was “very warm”.

The “exceptional highs” were recorded between Monday 25 and Wednesday 27 May, with thunderstorms breaking out in the South late on 27 May, before a somewhat cooler Atlantic air broke through for the final few days of the month.

This brought a return to frontal rain or showers interspersed with dry periods.

All mean air temperatures across the country were above their long-term average (LTA) for the month – LTA refers to the average for the period of 1991-2020.

Graph showing mean temperatures at all weather stations above their long-term average Met Éireann Met Éireann

Mean temperatures ranged from 11.3C at both Malin Head, Co Donegal and Knock Airport, Co Mayo to 13.4C at Shannon Airport, Co Clare.

The month’s highest temperature was reported at Shannon Airport on Tuesday 26, May with a temperature of 30.6C.

The previous record stood at 28.4C in Ardfert, Co Kerry on 31 May 1997

However, seven other stations are still awaiting verification and are believed to have broken this record and recorded temperatures as high as 30.9C.

In all, 18 stations set new station records for maximum May temperatures between Sunday 24 and Wednesday 27 May.

Elsewhere, nearly all rainfall totals were below their long-term average for the month.

Graph showing most stations recording rainfaill totals below long-term averages Met Éireann Met Éireann

The number of wet days ranged from seven at Oak Park, Co Carlow to 16 days at both Markree, Co Sligo and Finner, Co Donegal – a “wet day” is a day with 1mm or more of rainfall.

Meanwhile, the number of very wet days ranged from zero days at Phoenix Park to three at both Ballyhaise, Co Cavan and Sherkin Island, Co Cork – a “very wet day” is a day with 10mm or more of rainfall.

Two stations, Phoenix Park and Casement Aerodrome in Co Dublin, also recorded absolute droughts lasting 22 days, between 19 April and 10 May.

Met Éireann has also released a report showing that this spring (March, April and May) was the third-warmest on record for Ireland.

In those three months, the average temperature was 10.14 degrees. It was driest in the south-east and sunshine was above average in most of the country even though rainfall was slightly higher than average. 

It comes as a group of researchers in Maynooth University, supported by climate scientists at Met Éireann, found that the record-breaking temperatures experienced last month would not have been possible without human-caused climate change.

Dr Claire Bergin of the ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University remarked that “it is downright alarming to break 30°C in May in Ireland”.

“While this may come as a welcome few days by the beach for some, the fact is these record-breaking May temperatures were not possible without human-caused global warming.”

With reporting from David Mac Redmond

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