Donegal is often described as the ‘coolest place on the planet’ for tourism, but this summer it was the sunniest!
A new Met Eireann report reveals that Malin Head weather station boasted the highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded this summer.
Ireland’s most northerly point basked in 16 hours of sunshine on Friday 9th and Thursday 15th June.
Malin Head also had its warmest summer on record this year, with a mean temperature of 15.1 °C across June, July and August.
Summer 2023 saw the warmest June on record on land and at sea, but also the wettest July on record.
The past three months were provisionally the 5th warmest summer on record for the island of Ireland (record length 124 years) and only marginally below the Summer of 2018. The four warmest summers were 1995, 1976, 2006 and 2018. The high mean temperatures this summer were driven by the record hottest June and high night-time temperatures throughout the summer months.
Rainfall, however, was above average everywhere.
July saw Atlantic low pressure systems dominating in a mostly westerly or cyclonic airflow. Numerous active weather fronts crossed the country along with periods of in-tense, sometimes thundery, convective rainfall.
Raphoe in Donegal was the wettest place in Ireland in July, when flash flooding struck East Donegal on July 22 following 76.4mm of rainfall.
Malin Head, Co Donegal had a dry spell between May 21st and June 16th lasting 27 days.
