Ireland Climate
Top 5 Cities: Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford
This month in numbers
April 2026 was exceptionally warm for Ireland, ranking as the 3rd warmest April in 86 years of records, with an average temperature of 10.4°C, a significant 2.4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The three-month period from February to April 2026 also ranked as the 3rd warmest on record, with an average of 8.38°C, 2°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures.
What changed
Ireland's recent warmth is part of a broader trend, with the country's average temperature for 2025 being the 8th warmest in 85 years. The long-term trend shows Ireland warming by +0.74°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This past April saw temperatures above the long-term average across all stations, with the west of the country experiencing the warmest conditions. While the first two-thirds of April were dominated by Atlantic low pressure systems bringing rain, especially to the west, a high-pressure system brought drier and sunnier conditions from April 18th onwards, particularly to the east. Ireland's 1-month temperature anomaly for April placed it 93rd out of 234 regions globally, while the 3-month anomaly ranked it 90th.
What’s driving change?
The significant warmth observed in Ireland can be attributed to several factors. The likely played a role, with a tendency towards mild, wet westerlies during periods of . The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly, but the NOAA CPC forecast indicates a 61% chance of El Niño developing by May-July and a 79% chance by June-August. Historically, El Niño events in Northern Europe during winter (DJF) have shown a tendency for cooler late winters, though very strong El Niños have sometimes led to warmer winters. ENSO tracker. Ireland experienced several notable weather events in the past few months. Storm Chandra in late January and early February brought widespread flooding to the east and southeast, with some areas experiencing "worst ever" flood chaos. Storm Dave also impacted the country on April 4th, bringing wet and windy weather, particularly to the northwest. Additionally, wildfires were a concern in the Mourne Mountains in late April, with significant damage to vegetation.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks suggest a likelihood of warmer-than-average temperatures for Ireland during the May, June, and July period, with temperatures potentially trending between 0.2°C and 1.0°C above average.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Ireland
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Ireland changing?
Ireland is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Ireland come from?
Climate data for Ireland comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Ireland climate data cover?
The Ireland climate profile covers Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and surrounding areas. Atlantic storms, shifting rainfall and rising temperatures across the island
How often is the Ireland climate update refreshed?
The Ireland climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.