STORM ÉOWYN BROUGHT record-breaking winds with hurricane force to Ireland last month.

On Friday, 24 January, Storm Éowyn brought the provisional highest wind speeds since digital records began at Mace Head, Co Galway.

The highest gust recorded here was 184 km/h, while the highest 10-minute sustained mean wind speed was 142 km/h.

Three others also broke their highest gust records.

These were Finner, Co Donegal with 150 km/h, Athenry, Co Galway with 139 km/h and Gurteen, Co Tipperary with 124 km/h.

Three other stations also saw their highest 10-minute mean wind speed record broken.

These were Finner, Co Donegal with 115 km/h, Dunsany, Co Meath with 76 km/h, and Athenry with 83 km/h.

A fallen tree and pole on Grove Park Drive in Dublin on Friday, 24 Jan Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Meanwhile, two stations reached hurricane force 12 on the Beaufort wind scale.

The scale starts with 0 and goes to a force of 12.

Mean wind speeds reached hurricane force 12 at Malin Head, Co Donegal and Mace Head, Co Galway on Friday 24 January.

Four stations also reached violent storm force 11, while eight stations reached storm force 10 on the Beaufort wind scale.

Climate Statement for January

The data is contained in Met Éireann’s Climate Statement for January 2025.

Last month, temperatures were below average nearly everywhere, with mean air temperatures below their long-term average for the month.

The average national temperature for January 2025 was 5.37 °C, which is 0.45 °C below the most recent 1991-2020 long-term average (LTA) and 0.28 °C above the 1961-1990 LTA.

The month’s highest temperature of 14.2 °C was recorded at Finner, Co Donegal on Monday 13, while the lowest air temperature of -7.6 °C was recorded at Athenry, Co Galway on Thursday 9 January – this was the lowest temperature at a Met Éireann station since December 2022.

Nine stations reported an icing day on Wednesday 8 January and all stations reported ground frost during January. 

The number of days with ground frost ranged from 11 days at Mace Head, Co Galway and Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry to 25 days at Phoenix Park, Co Dublin. 

However, while temperatures in Ireland were below the long-term average last month, it’s a different picture globally.

Last month was the hottest January on record, despite an emerging “La Nina” weather pattern that cools global temperatures, scientists have said.

January 2025 was 0.79C above the 1991-2020 global average for the month and 1.75C above pre-industrial levels, scientists from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said.

It makes it the 18th month in the last 19 for which average global air surface temperatures were more than 1.5C above what they were before the industrial era.

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