2002 set rainfall records around the State

Last year was the wettest on record at most of Met Éireann's weather stations in Leinster and Munster. It was also milder than normal across the State for the ninth year running.

An estimated 1,909 millimetres of rainfall was measured at Valentia Observatory, the highest annual total for the Co Kerry station since records began there 110 years ago.

Dublin Airport also saw a record rainfall total, the highest since measurements began there in 1941.

Data for 2002 show that temperatures across the State averaged almost one degree above normal, reinforcing a recent trend towards milder weather which has been linked to global warming.

Met Éireann forecaster, Mr Vincent O'Shea, remarked: "You don't have to be an expert to see how the climate has changed. You have to go back to your childhood to remember the last time we had a serious winter in Ireland."

He noted the rainfall measurement for Valentia was almost certainly the highest ever recorded at any official weather station.

All stations saw higher than normal temperatures through the year, achieving close to 11 degrees on average. All except Malin Head on the northern coast saw higher than normal rainfall totals.

The news comes amid further warnings of global climate change, and its impact on life.

Research published in today's Nature magazine shows there have been significant shifts in plant and animal habitats towards the poles, averaging 6.1 kilometres per decade. Spring events, such as migrant arrival or egg-laying, were said to have advanced by 2.3 days per decade, according to a University of Texas study.