Weather Summaries

The Weather of September 2008

Becoming dry after wet start; cooler than normal almost everywhere
Following the very wet weather of the summer months, the first half of September brought more heavy rainfall in many areas, but drier conditions then developed until near the end of the month. Stations in the Dublin area had received their normal totals for all of September by the 6th of the month, which also brought their annual totals for 2008 above the amount normally recorded in a full year. Dublin Airport’s daily fall of 43.5mm on the 5th was its highest for September since the station opened in 1941; other heavy falls over the country on the 9th and 10th exacerbated flooding problems in many areas, especially in the east and south. High pressure over Ireland between the 17th and 28th brought a respite from the wet weather, when rainfall was generally confined to some light coastal showers. Most stations had a total of between 11 and 16 wetdays during the month (days with 1mm or more rainfall), close to normal for September. Mean monthly air temperatures were near normal generally, but were around half a degree below normal at some southern stations and it was the coolest September since 1994 almost everywhere. At no station did the temperature rise above 20°C during the month, the first such occurrence in September since 1974. Slight ground frost was recorded in some inland areas in the period 22nd to 24th. Sunshine totals were near normal generally, but it was a sunny month in the southwest of the country, where Valentia Observatory recorded 28% more sunshine than normal for September.

Recent weather summaries - (PDF Format)