Temperature records broken during mild September

Parts of the east coast enjoyed their warmest September in decades as other parts of the country laboured under higher than average rainfall, according to the latest monthly weather statistics from Met Éireann.

There was a wide variation in conditions between the east and southwest of the country in particular over the course of last month, with weather stations in Cork and Kerry reporting their wettest September in 10 years.

In Dublin there was a maximum temperature of 26 degrees in the Phoenix Park on September 5th, its highest since September 1961. And Dublin Airport had its hottest September temperature on the same day since records began in 1942.

Rainfall amounts were generally above long-term averages for counties other than Dublin and those in the northwest, but Valentia Observatory in Kerry and Cork Airport saw the most rain in September since 2006.

Dull days

Newport in Co Mayo had rain on 26 out of 30 days last month compared to 12 rainy days at Dublin Airport, which also reported the lowest number of dull days where there was little or no sunshine.

The mercury rose highest between September 5th and 7th in most places with the month’s lowest air temperature of 1.3 degrees recorded at Markree, Co Sligo, on the 2nd.

Met Éireann says there was a total of six days where gale force winds were registered, all along the west coast and most of which came towards the end of September.

Meanwhile, the national forecaster has announced a status orange rain warning for Kerry which will see accumulations of up to 40mm early on Tuesday.

There will be little by way of precipitation throughout the country on Wednesday and Thursday before showers hit the east and north on Friday.

Highest temperatures will get up to 16 degrees until Thursday, after which values will struggle to break into the teens nationwide and winds are expected to be slack.