July was wettest on record, Met Éireann says

Provisional data from Met Éireann is pointing towards July being the wettest month on record in Ireland.

Paul Moore, a climatologist with Met Éireann, on Morning Ireland that four times as much rain fell in Ireland in July compared to the same month last year.

Moore that the rainfall for July was at 215% of the long-term average, and was compiled and cross-referenced against the first data taken in 1940.

The previous wettest July was recorded in 2009, when the figure was 202% of its long-term average.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said: “Seventeen of the 25 weather stations have had over 200% of their long-term average, with 12 stations having record high rainfall for July.”

It was noted that rain was quite widespread across the country with the midlands and east were wetter on average, but some longstanding stations like Phoenix Park in Dublin had 300% of average rainfall.

“It’s broken up with some very dry months, like February only had 36% of average rainfall. So it’s kind of the climate projections are showing that there will be more intense heavy rainfall events but also longer, drier periods,” Moore said.

He said that the jet stream had been determining the weather in July, with a number of active weather fronts.

“We can experience record-breaking rainfall such as this July, and record-breaking heat such as last July,” he said.

The wet July follows a dry June, which marked the driest period of weather since the summer of 2018.

As for what lays ahead in August, Moore said that there “no good news” for the next week.

“It looks to stay unsettled for at least the next week with low pressure in charge. There’s this low pressure coming in and over the next few days and then another one coming in over the weekend so it does look like it will stay unsettled.”