WHILE APRIL GOT off to a showery start, last month was the wettest March on record, according to Met Éireann.

The previous wettest March on the books – which has recorded rainfall going back 83 years – was in 2019.

Provisional figures show 173.3mm of rain fell from Irish skies last month, up from 33.9m in February, which Met Éireann says was the fourth driest February on record.

March 2023 is provisionally the wettest March on record in Ireland (record length 83 years) according to gridded data. This follows the 4th driest February on record last month. The previous wettest March was in 2019. More information tomorrow in the March Climate Statement pic.twitter.com/onLaLqz89F

— Irish Observational Climatology (@METclimate) April 3, 2023

According to the forecaster’s climate statement for winter 2022/23, the lowest monthly rainfall total in February was in Johnstown Castle in Wexford, where 7.4mm of rain was recorded, the lowest figure since 1986.

More information on last month’s weather patterns will be provided in the March climate statement, due to be published tomorrow.

The UK experienced similarly wet weather. 

England and Wales had their respective wettest Marches in 40 years, while Northern Ireland had its third wettest March on record.

According to provisional figures from the UK Met Office, Wales had 206.5mm of rain last month, double its long-term average.

In the same time 119.2mm of rain fell in England, 104% more rainfall than average and Northern Ireland saw 151.2mm of rainfall, 74% more than average.