by Paul McElwee
THE month of July was wettest in the North West, according to Met Éireann.
Met Éireann’s Weather Provisional Statement, released on Friday, also shows Donegal experienced strong winds, with the highest gust reported at Finner on July 3 (46 knots/85 km/h).
The month’s highest 10-minute mean wind seed, recorded just a day later, was at Malin Head 32 knots/59 km/h).
The report shows that in the middle-to-latter stages of July, several frontal rain bands crossed the country between Wednesday, July 17 and Monday, July 22, with the bulk of the rain falling in the western half of the country.
Low pressure remained in control in the north towards the end of the month, bringing bands of rain and showers before high pressure from the southern end of the country gradually made its way north, ensuring July was drier and warmer with more sunshine.
The report also outlines that a polar air-mass made the start of July a cold one, before giving way to milder temperatures and rain bands from the west overpowering southern pressure before it bounced back to give a drier and warmer end to the month.
Provisional data from the Island of Ireland data set showed July had an average temperature of 14.77 °C, 0.59°C below the 1981-2010 long term average (LTA), 0.61 °C below the 1991-2020 LTA and 0.08 °C below the 1961-1990 LTA for July.
It also indicated July 2024 was the 61st coldest July in the 125 years since the data set was established and the coldest for four years, with an average temperature of 12.68°C.
Despite the cold, monthly sunshine values ranged from 99 per cent (the highest monthly sunshine total of 151.5 hours) at Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin to 100 per cent (monthly sunshine total of 139.6 hours) at Shannon Airport, Co Clare.
Monthly sunshine totals were lowest at Gurteen, Co Tipperary with 116.4 hours (No LTA comparison).
The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded this month was 15.3 hours at Dublin Airport, Co Dublin on Monday, July 8.
In addition, air temperatures across Ireland were below their LTA for the month, ranging from -1.1 °C (14.0 °C mean temperature) at Markree, Co Sligo to -0.2 °C (15.3 °C mean temperature) at Phoenix Park, Co Dublin.
Mean temperatures for the month ranged from 13.4 °C (0.5 °C below its LTA) at Knock Airport, Co Mayo to 15.3 °C at both Shannon Airport, Co Clare (0.9 °C below its LTA) and Phoenix Park, Co Dublin (0.2 °C below its LTA).
The month’s highest temperature was reported at Moore Park, Co Cork on Wednesday, July 31 with a temperature of 24.1 °C. The month’s lowest air temperature was recorded on Monday, July 8 at Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon with 4.7 °C
Belmullet in Co Mayo saw a rainfall value total of 102 per cent, contrasted by 50 per cent at Sherkin Island in Cork.
The highest rainfall total was 16.6mm at Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford.
The amount of rain days ranged from 15 days at both Roche’s Point, Co Cork and Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford to 24 days at Knock Airport, Co Mayo.
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