Easnaimh Thaise na hIthreach

Forecast issued at: Saturday 25th January 2020 14:00

Rain

Rainfall amounts for the past week have been well below average for all parts of the country with most areas receiving less than 20% their normal accumulations. This is due to the presence of a large high pressure system which has brought stable and mostly dry conditions to the country for most of the past week. Belmullet recorded the most precipitation with 4.6mm. Dublin was the driest stations, with just 0.3 mm. It is expected that rainfall amounts in the coming days will be higher in the west than the east. Rainfall totals will be below average in the midlands, north and east, and about or just above average along southern and western coasts. Connaught coasts will see up to 1.5 times the average.

Temperatures

Average temperatures for the past week have been lower than normal in most areas except the north which had slightly above normal, up to 1.6 degrees above in Malin Head. With settled conditions there has been relatively cold night time temperatures. Mean air temperatures have been up to one and a half degrees below normal in south Leinster. Increased cloud amounts over the next few days will see average temperatures increasing to more normal values, and possibly a degree or two higher in some places, although temperatures will drop back slightly during the early days of next week. Mean soil temperatures are mostly about normal for the time of year, although some stations have recorded slightly lower than average soil temperatures. It is likely that mean soil temperatures will increase slightly in the coming week.

Sunshine

Sunshine amounts have been well above average this week for most parts of the country except the northwest which received lower than average amounts. Southern areas received over twice the average, like Cork Airport which had the highest total with 25.5 hours. Malin Head recorded only 5.3 hours of sunshine, just over half the average. Sunshine amounts are likely to be average or below average for the coming week due to an increase in low cloud and misty conditions for the next few days.

Drying Conditions

Drying conditions will be poor for the week with dull, damp conditions for the next few days, followed by more persistent bands of rain moving across the country towards the end of the period.

Spraying

More unsettled conditions will return and wind speeds will increase from Saturday night.

Field Conditions

Most soils are currently saturated or waterlogged. Conditions have improved slightly this week following the mainly dry, settled weather, best in the east. It is likely that conditions will deteriorate in the coming week as we see the return of an Atlantic regime with more persistent rain from Saturday evening onwards.