Climate of Ireland - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The climate of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

can be summed up as being mild, moist and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. It is defined as a temperate

Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...

oceanic climate

Oceanic climate

An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...

, or Cfb on the Köppen climate classification

Köppen climate classification

The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...

system, a classification it shares with most of northwest Europe. The country receives generally warm summers and mild winters, and is considerably warmer than other areas on its latitude

Latitude

In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...

. This is due to the fact it lies in the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

, and as a result is warmed by the Gulf Stream

Gulf Stream

The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...

all year. Met Éireann

Met Éireann

Met Éireann is the national meteorological service in Ireland, part of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.-History:...

is the meteorological service of the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

, and the Met Office

Met Office

The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...

is that of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

Temperature

Ireland, as a whole, experiences a lack of temperature extremes compared to other areas of similar latitudes. Summers are generally warm and winters are mild. There is a regional variation, with inland areas being cooler in winter and warmer in summer than their coastal counterparts.

The warmest areas are found along the south-west coast. Valentia Island

Valentia Island

Valentia Island is one of Ireland's westernmost points, lying off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry, Ireland. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial bridge at Portmagee, as well as by a ferry which sails from Reenard Point to Knightstown, the island's...

, County Kerry

County Kerry

Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

has the highest annual mean temperature, at 10.4 °C (50.7 °F).

The coldest areas are found inland. Clones

Clones

Clones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the 'border area' of the Republic of Ireland. The area is part of the Border Region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish Government due to its currently below-average economic situation...

, County Monaghan

County Monaghan

County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...

and Mullingar

Mullingar

Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...

, County Westmeath

County Westmeath

-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...

both have the lowest annual mean temperature, at 8.8 °C (47.8 °F).

The highest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) at Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways...

, County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...

on 26 June 1887. The lowest temperature was -19.1 °C at Markree Castle

Markree Castle

Markree Castle, in Collooney, County Sligo, Ireland is the ancestral seat of the Cooper family, partially moated by the River Unshin. Today it is a small family-run hotel.-17th century:...

, County Sligo on 16 January 1881.

Extreme heat and cold are both rare throughout the country. Summer temperatures exceed 30 °C (86 °F) usually once or twice every decade (2006, 2005, 2003, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1983, 1976 and 1975 are recent examples), though commonly reach the high 20s ºC (low 80s ºF) most summers, while severe freezes occur only occasionally in winter, with temperatures below -10 °C being very uncommon, and temperatures below freezing uncommon in many coastal areas.

Mean daily winter temperatures vary from 4 °C (39.2 °F) to 7.6 °C (45.7 °F), and mean daily summer temperatures vary from 12.3 °C (54.1 °F) to 15.7 °C (60.3 °F).

Frost

Air frost

Frost

Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...

occurs frequently in the winter, with most areas seeing over 40 days of air frost every year. In northern areas, air frost occurs on average 10.2 days every January, the month in which air frost occurs most frequently. Along the coast, air frost occurs less regularly. In the Sperrins

Sperrins

The Sperrins or Sperrin Mountains are a range of mountains in Northern Ireland and one of the largest upland areas in Ireland. The range stretches the counties of Tyrone and Londonderry from south of Strabane eastwards to Maghera and north towards Limavady...

and the Glens of Antrim

Glens of Antrim

The Glens of Antrim , known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It comprises nine glens , that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast. The Glens are an area of outstanding natural beauty and are a major tourist attraction in north Antrim...

air frost occurs around 80 days of year. The pattern is similar with ground frost, with on average around 100 days of ground frost in the lowlands and over 140 in the mountains.

Frost is rarer along the coast, in urban areas and also in western and southern areas.

Roches Point, County Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

receives the least amount of days with air frost, with an average of 7.0 days with air frost recorded annually.

Kilkenny

Kilkenny

Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

, County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny

receives the most amount of days with air frost, with an average of 53.0 days with air frost recorded annually.

In Dublin, Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...

records air frost on average 24.3 days per year, while Casement Aerodrome

Casement Aerodrome

Casement Aerodrome or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole base of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes...

(which is further inland) records air frost on average 41.3 days per year.

Hardiness zones

Most of Ireland is in hardiness zone 9, with the interior being zone 8 and the south-west coast being in zone 10.

Sunshine

The sunniest months are May and June. During these months sunshine duration averages between 5 and 6½ hours per day over most of the country. The south-east gets the most sunshine, averaging over 7 hours a day in early summer. December is the dullest month with an average daily sunshine ranging from about 1 hour in the north to almost 2 hours in the south-east. Over the year as a whole most areas get an average of between 3¼ and 3¾ hours of sunshine each day. Irish skies are completely covered by cloud roughly half of the time.

The sunniest part of the island is the south-east coast. Rosslare

Rosslare

The name Rosslare may refer to:*Rosslare Strand, a village in County Wexford, Ireland* Rosslare Harbour, a village in County Wexford, Ireland*The Rosslare Europort at Rosslare Harbour...

, County Wexford

County Wexford

County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...

is the sunniest area, and receives on average 4.33 hours of sunshine per day (1,580.45 hours per year).

The dullest, i.e., least sunny, part of the island is in the northern half of the country. Clones

Clones

, County Monaghan

County Monaghan

is the dullest area, receiving on average 3.19 hours of sunshine per day (1,164.35 hours per year).

Precipitation

Rainfall is, by far, the most common form of precipitation on the island.http://www.epa.ie/environment/climate/precipitation/

Rainfall

Rainfall is extremely common throughout Ireland, although some parts of the west coast receive over four times as much rain as the east coast. Rainfall in Ireland normally comes from Atlantic frontal systems which travel north-east over the Island, bringing cloud and rain. Most of the eastern half of the country has between 750 and 1000 mm (29.5 and 39.4 in) of rainfall in the year. Rainfall in the west generally averages between 1000 and 1250 mm (39.4 and 49.2 in). In many mountainous districts rainfall exceeds 3000 mm (118.1 in) per year. The wettest months almost everywhere are December and January. April is the driest month generally, but in many southern parts June is the driest.

The average number of "wet days" (days with more than 1 mm (0.0393700787401575 in) of rain) ranges from about 151 days a year along the east and south-east coasts, to about 225 days a year in parts of the west.

The wettest weather station is that in Valentia Island

Valentia Island

, County Kerry

County Kerry

, which receives 1430.1 mm (56.3 in) of rain per year, on average.

The driest weather station is Casement Aerodrome

Casement Aerodrome

, County Dublin

County Dublin

County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...

, which receives 711.4 mm (28.01 in) of rain per year, on average.

The weather station with the highest number of "wet days" is Belmullet

Belmullet

Belmullet is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of around 2,000 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. Its name means the "mouth of the mullet"...

, County Mayo

County Mayo

County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...

with 193 days per year, while the station with the lowest number of "wet days" is Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport

, County Dublin with 128 days per year.

Rainfall records

The driest year recorded in Ireland was 1887, with only 356.6 mm (14.04 in) of rain recorded at Glasnevin
Glasnevin
Glasnevin is a largely residential neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland.-Geography:A mainly residential neighbourhood, it is located on the Northside of the city of Dublin . It was originally established on the northern bank of the River Tolka...

, County Dublin.
The longest drought in Ireland occurred in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

between 3 April 1938 and 10 May 1938 (37 days).
The greatest monthly total was 790 mm (31.1 in); recorded at the Comeragh Mountains
Comeragh Mountains
The Comeragh Mountains are a glaciated mountain range situated in the south east of Ireland in County Waterford. They are located between the town of Clonmel on the County Tipperary border and the villages of Kilrossanty and Kilmacthomas in County Waterford.The twelve mountains which form the...

in October 1996.
The greatest annual total was 3964.9 mm (156.1 in); recorded at Ballaghbeena Gap in 1960.
The greatest hourly total was 97 mm (3.82 in); recorded at Orra Beg, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...

, August 1980.
The greatest daily total was 243.5 mm (9.59 in); recorded at Cloore Lake, County Kerry on 18 September 1993

Snowfall

Severe cold weather is uncommon in Ireland with the majority of winter precipitation coming in the form of rain. Although hills and mountainous regions in the country can see up to 30 days of snowfall annually, most low lying regions of the island only see a few days of lying snow per year (from December to March inclusive), or may see no snow at all during some winters. However, in recent winters, there has been a significant increase in prolonged "cold snaps", in which heavy snow does fall across Ireland for several weeks, often causing disruption to traffic and services across Ireland. Consequently, there have been increased calls to prepare the country for snow and ice, including the distribution of grit, salt, and other snow-treatable minerals. In late 2011, the Irish Government set up "Winter-Ready", in order to prepare the country for such severe weather.

Due to the volatility of Ireland's weather (which is mainly because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift, as well as Ireland's Northerly latitude and vulnerability to Siberian/Arctic winds) weather during the Winter months is very variable and difficult to predict, with the aforementioned factors making both extremely low temperatures and relatively mild temperatures possible.

The snowiest weather station is that in Clones

Clones

, County Monaghan

County Monaghan

; which receives, on average, nearly 30 days of snow and/or sleet per year. Of these, 10.8 days have snow lying at 09:00.

The least snowy weather station is that in Valentia Island

Valentia Island

, County Kerry

County Kerry

; which receives, on average, 5.6 days of snow and/or sleet per year. Of these, 0.8 days have snow lying at 09:00.

Hail

Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...

, like snow and sleet, is also rare in Ireland; however it can occur at any time of the year.

Malin Head

Malin Head

Malin Head , on the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal, is usually given as the most northerly headland of the mainland of Ireland . In fact, the most northerly point is actually a headland named Banba's Crown on the Inishowen Peninsula about 2 km to the northeast...

, County Donegal

County Donegal

County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

receives the most hail; with there being 48.4 days per year with hail falling.

Roches Point, County Cork

County Cork

receives the least hail; with there being 8.0 days per year with hail falling.

Thunder

Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener, thunder can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble . The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within...

is most common in Ireland late in summer; though can occur at any time of the year.

Cork Airport, County Cork

County Cork

experiences the least thunder; receiving it 3.7 days per year on average.

Valentia Island

Valentia Island

, County Kerry

County Kerry

experiences the most thunder; receiving it 7.1 days per year on average.

Wind

Generally, the coast tends to be windier than inland areas; and the west tends to be windier than the east.

The station with the highest mean wind speed is Malin Head

Malin Head

, County Donegal

County Donegal

; averaging at 16.3 kn (31.9 km/h; 19.8 mph). Malin Head also receives the most gale force winds, recording them on average 66.0 days per year.

The station with the lowest mean wind speed is Kilkenny

Kilkenny

Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

, County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny

; averaging at 6.5 kn (12.7 km/h; 7.9 mph).

The station that records the least amount of gale force winds is that in Birr

Birr

Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....

, County Offaly

County Offaly

County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...

; recording them on average 1.2 days per year.

The highest wind speed ever recorded in Ireland was 200 km/h (124 mph; 102 kn) at Kilkeel

Kilkeel

Kilkeel is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and its harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland. It had a population of 6,338 people according to the 2001 Census...

, County Down

County Down

-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

on 12 January 1974.

Tornadoes are very rare in Ireland, with around less than ten reported every year - mostly in August.

Fog

Fog is more common inland and on higher altitudes; mainly during winter and during the morning at times of high pressure.

The foggiest station is that at Cork Airport, County Cork

County Cork

, which has 99.5 days of fog per year.

The least foggy station is that at Valentia Island

Valentia Island

, County Kerry

County Kerry

, which has 8.9 days of fog per year.

Rainfall

**Rainfall records**
Year	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005
Highest annual total	1332 millimetres (52.4 in) Valentia Observatory Valentia Island Valentia Island is one of Ireland's westernmost points, lying off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry, Ireland. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial bridge at Portmagee, as well as by a ferry which sails from Reenard Point to Knightstown, the island's...	2175 millimetres (85.6 in) Valentia Observatory	1673 millimetres (65.9 in) Valentia Observatory	1351 millimetres (53.2 in) Valentia Observatory	1761 millimetres (69.3 in) Valentia Observatory	1500 millimetres (59.1 in) Valentia Observatory
Lowest annual total	671 millimetres (26.4 in) Dublin Airport Dublin Airport Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...	918 millimetres (36.1 in) Dublin Airport	944 millimetres (37.2 in) Dublin Airport	755 millimetres (29.7 in) Rosslare Rosslare The name Rosslare may refer to:Rosslare Strand, a village in County Wexford, Ireland Rosslare Harbour, a village in County Wexford, Ireland*The Rosslare Europort at Rosslare Harbour...	678 millimetres (26.7 in) Casement Aerodrome Casement Aerodrome Casement Aerodrome or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole base of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes...	624 millimetres (24.6 in) Casement Aerodrome
Highest daily rainfall	86.5 millimetres (3.4 in) Knock Airport 6 September	51.2 millimetres (2 in) Cork Airport 19 November	102 millimetres (4 in) Belderrig Belderrig Béal Deirg is a Gaeltacht village and townland in County Mayo, Ireland.-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland... 13 August	53.3 millimetres (2.1 in) Phoenix Park Phoenix Park Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth... 22 June	55.3 millimetres (2.2 in) Valentia Observatory 25 October	66.3 millimetres (2.6 in) Cork Airport 24 July
Source: Met Éireann / Met Office

Temperature

**Temperature records**
Year	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005
Highest mean annual temperature	10.1 °C (50.2 °F) Valentia Observatory	11.1 °C (52 °F) Valentia Observatory	11.1 °C (52 °F) Valentia Observatory	11.7 °C (53.1 °F) Valentia Observatory	11.4 °C (52.5 °F) Valentia Observatory and Rosslare	11.4 °C (52.5 °F) Valentia Observatory
Lowest mean annual temperature	7.9 °C (46.2 °F) Knock Airport	8.7 °C (47.7 °F) Knock Airport	8.7 °C (47.7 °F) Knock Airport	9.5 °C (49.1 °F) Knock Airport	9.1 °C (48.4 °F) Knock Airport	9.1 °C (48.4 °F) Knock Airport
Highest temperature	26.8 °C (80.2 °F) Ardfert Ardfert Ardfert is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. Historically a religious centre, the economy of the locality is driven by agriculture and its position as a dormitory town, being only 8 km from Tralee.-Origin:... 23 May	28.6 °C (83.5 °F) Galway Galway Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the... 2 June	25.9 °C (78.6 °F) Ardtarmon 28 July and Castlederg Castlederg Castlederg is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Derg and is close to the border with County Donegal. The village has a ruined castle and two ancient tombs known as the Druid's Altar and Todd's Den... 28 July	26.9 °C (80.4 °F) Ballyshannon Ballyshannon Ballyshannon is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located where the N3 and N15 cross the River Erne, and claims to be the oldest town in Ireland.-Location:... 9 June	32.3 °C (90.1 °F) Elphin Elphin In Welsh mythology, Elffin ap Gwyddno was a son of Gwyddno Garanhir, 'Lord of Ceredigion'. The earliest example of the name occurs in several of the mythological poems attributed to Taliesin in the Book of Taliesin. The date of their composition is uncertain but probably predates the Norman... 19 July	30.3 °C (86.5 °F) Kildalton 12 July
Lowest temperature	-18.7 °C Castlederg 23 December	-10.0 °C Mullingar Mullingar Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath... 25 December	-8.8 °C Katesbridge Katesbridge Katesbridge is a small hamlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Shannaghan, just off the main route from Castlewellan to Banbridge, and 7km north of Rathfriland. The River Bann flows by the hamlet. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 135 people... 18 February	-8.0 °C Cavan Cavan Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland... 7 February	-8.6 °C Straide 3 March	-5.6 °C Casement Aerodrome 3 March
Source: Met Éireann / Met Office

Sunshine

**Sunshine records**
Year	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005
Highest annual total	1,771 hours Cork Airport	1,561 hours Dublin Airport	1,512 hours Dublin Airport	1,789 hours Rosslare	1,710 hours Rosslare	1,619 hours Rosslare
Lowest annual total	1,530 hours Knock Airport	1,319 hours Knock Airport	1,249 hours Birr	1,330 hours Knock Airport	1,304 hours Knock Airport	1,147 hours Birr
Highest daily sunshine	16.0 hours Casement Aerodrome 20 June	16.0 hours Casement Aerodrome 24 June	15.3 hours Malin Head Malin Head Malin Head , on the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal, is usually given as the most northerly headland of the mainland of Ireland . In fact, the most northerly point is actually a headland named Banba's Crown on the Inishowen Peninsula about 2 km to the northeast... 26 May	15.6 hours Knock Airport 4 June and Malin Head 6 June	15.8 hours Malin Head 25 June	15.6 hours Rosslare 11 July and Dublin Airport 11 July
Source: Met Éireann / Met Office

Visibility

Visibility is generally very good, because of the proximity of industry to the coast, allowing breezes to disperse any smoke. Mist and fog often occur, as well as coastal fog in the east, but it is generally not long-lasting. However in winter, it can be slow to clear.

External links

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