Ireland Climate

Largely due to its closeness to the Atlantic Ocean and the presence of the Gulf Stream Climate in Ireland is pleasantly maritime. Since it receives a lot of rainfall, Ireland is very lush and is also called the Emerald Isle.

Summers in Ireland are balmy and pleasantly sunny. Light rainfall occasionally happen but only for few days. In July and August, weather generally is oppressively muggy coupled with thunderstorms. The average temperature during the month of July is around 15ºC. Weather in the coastal regions remains almost the same during summers and winters. With an average 10ºC difference between January and July, the climate of Ireland is much more consistent than continental areas of the world. This consistency is due to the moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean, which absorbs heat in summer and gives it out in winter. Winters in Ireland are cloudy and rainy with the sporadic sunny spell. In the month of January average temperatures hovers around 5ºC. During the night, temperatures often falls below freezing point and therefore ice and frosts are common sights in Ireland. Each winter there are a few weeks when the temperature does not rise above sub-zero point all day, and rivers and lakes can partly freeze dry.

Local Ireland climate basically differs from place to place in Ireland. The dampest conditions always occur in mountainous regions and those areas lying to the east of the mountains – in the direction of the prevailing wind. The typical examples are Kerry, Donegal and Galway. The driest climate prevailes in the eastern areas where there are few mountains like the eastern coastal region. Counties such as Dublin and Kildare benefit from the driest weather. With respect to temperature, it is the southern region that enjoys the warmest of all weather. While the northern coastal region is cooler than the southern region, the coolest areas include inland areas which are far away from the temperate waters of the ocean. Only at times there is a "blast from the north", that brings very cold conditions from the Arctic, characterized by icy winds, snowstorm and frostiness. When Ireland receives wind from the east – which is a scenario uncommon - there is hot, dry weather during summers or cold, dry weather during winters.