Ireland has become warmer and wetter over past 30 years according to Met Eireann

Ireland has become warmer, wetter, and sunnier over the last 30 years, according to new findings by Met Éireann.

The research looked for changes in the country’s climate from 1991 to 2020.

The average air temperature in Ireland over the 30 years up to 2020 was 9.8C – which is 0.7C higher than the previous 30-year period up to 1990 and the rise in temperature was observed across all four seasons.

Rainfall also increased by 7% in those years with the north and west of the country seeing the biggest rise.

While the east of the country was wetter, it was not to the same extent as seen in the north and west.

There was also more sunshine with an average of 63 more hours of sunshine per year – a 5% increase.

The findings discovered that May was the sunniest month and also saw the greatest temperature increase over the last 30 years – an average of one degree.

December was the dullest month, while October saw the lowest mean temperature rise of 0.2 Celsius.

Met Éireann said these changes are consistent with previously published projections for how climate change will impact Ireland.

Met Éireann Climatologist and Project Lead Mary Curley said what is being seen at a local and national scale fits the international picture that the atmosphere is getting warmer.

Southern Europe is currently in the throes of a heatwave nicknamed “Cerberus”, with temperatures tipped to hit 48c on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Last July’s heatwave, which saw temperatures in Dublin fall just shy of the all-time Irish heat record set in 1887, had a major effect on the United Kingdom, with the UK Met Office saying that the heatwave was ten times more likely to take place as a result of climate change.

Speaking to RTÉ, Curley said it is “worrying” that projections predict wetter and warmer weather for Ireland in the years ahead with all events becoming more extreme.

“We are seeing these increases in temperature. Rainfall is a little bit more variable. So last year, we had our record-breaking high temperature and not a lot of rain, whereas this year, it seems to be raining all the time.”

She added that Ireland would have to prepare for more extreme weather events and mitigate against them.