April 2020 was very dry, mild and sunny
The very dry weather, which started in the final third of March, with high pressure dominating, continued through most of April. This led to absolute drought, partial drought and dry spell conditions being reported at many stations between the 18th March and the 29th April, most especially in the Northwest and East. Atlantic weather fronts broke through from the south and southwest at times, such as on Sunday the 5th, between Friday the 10th and Easter Sunday the 12th and between Friday the 17th and Sunday the 19th, but pressure stayed relatively high and rainfall amounts relatively low, apart from a few heavy falls in the South and Southwest. It was cool and cloudy at times, especially at the start of the month, in a northerly airflow, when high pressure was located to the west of Ireland. There were also numerous warm sunny days, especially during the mid-week periods, when high pres-sure built directly over or to the northeast of Ireland. It was warmest in the western half of the country during these periods, as the winds were mostly from the east off a cool Irish sea. The weather finally broke on the 29th as a complex area of low pressure brought active weather fronts across the country from the south and southwest, followed by showers on the 30th.
EXTREME VALUES AT SYNOPTIC STATIONS
Rainfall
- Highest total: 72.3 mm at Cork Airport, Co Cork (95% of its LTA)
- Lowest total: 12.8 mm at Dublin Airport, Co Dublin (24% of its LTA)
- Highest daily rainfall: 25.6 mm at both Sherkin Island and Athenry on Wed 29th
Temperature
- Highest mean monthly temperature: 11.1°C at Newport, Co Mayo (2.0°C above its LTA)
- Lowest mean monthly temperature: 8.5°C at Dublin Airport, Co Dublin (0.4°C above its LTA)
- Highest Air temperature: 21.6°C at Newport, Co Mayo (8.5°C above its LTA) on Fri 24th
- Lowest air temperature: -3.2°C at Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon (6.8°C below its LTA) on Tue 14th
- Lowest grass minimum: -9.6°C at Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon on Tue 14th
Sunshine
- Highest monthly total: 204.4 hrs (daily mean 6.81 hrs/day) at Malin Head*, Co Donegal
- Lowest monthly total: 164.2 hrs (daily mean 5.47 hrs/day) at Cork Airport, Co Cork
- Highest daily sunshine: 13.9 hours at Malin Head*, Co Donegal on Mon 20th
Full report <<here>>