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SUMMER 2024 WAS Ireland’s coolest in nearly a decade, according to Met Éireann.
Met Éireann has released its latest seasonal weather assessment, revealing that the average national temperature for this summer was 14.5 degrees Celsius, just over a quarter of a degree lower than the 1991-2020 long-term average.
However, it was drier than summer 2023, with an average rainfall total of 237mm.
Met Éireann has pointed to two key reasons for the cool weather starting from June.
Several arctic blasts in early June were followed by a zonal jet stream that blocked warm air masses to the south from pushing north over Ireland.
The season’s highest temperature was reported at Phoenix Park in Co Dublin on Monday 24 June with a temperature of 26.6 degrees Celsius.
The lowest minimum air temperature was 1.8 degrees on Wednesday 12 June at Claremorris in Co Mayo.
The cool summer does not, however, disprove climate change. Overall, across the world, average temperatures are increasing due to emissions of greenhouse gases that trap heat inside the earth’s atmosphere. Ireland is already seeing the effects of climate change.
Climate change also makes the climate more unstable and more prone to unusual and extreme weather events.
Ireland’s long-term temperature averages, which are measured each decade based on the previous 30 years, have been increasing over time.
Summer 2024 was 0.28 degrees below the most recent 1991-2020 long-term average but only 0.19 degrees below the previous 1981-2010 long-term average, and was 0.25 degrees warmer than the 1961-1990 long-term average.
The majority of seasonal rainfall totals across Ireland this summer were below their 1981-2010 long-term average.
The weather station at Dublin Airport saw its driest summer since 2018 (104.7mm), though values elsewhere ranged as high as 419mm at Newport, Co Mayo.
The season’s wettest day was also recorded at Newport, with 34.6 mm on Sunday 4 August.
The number of rain days ranged from 43 days at Roche’s Point, Co Cork to 73 days at Knock Airport, Co Mayo throughout the summer season.
Sunshine values varied across the country, with the percentage of seasonal sunshine values ranging from 107% (seasonal sunshine total of 467.6 hours) at Shannon Airport, Co Clare to 111% at Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin, which was the season’s highest seasonal sunshine total of 514.1 hours
Seasonal sunshine totals were lowest at Malin Head in Co Donegal with 391.7 hours.
The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded this season was 15.9 hours at Gurteen, Co Tipperary on Wednesday 19 June, while the number of dull days ranged from six days at Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin to 17 days at both Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry and Belmullet, Co Mayo.
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They could nearly finish the chizzlers hospital if they could get that few bob.
@Noel Byrne: six of them even
@Noel Byrne: You mean to tell us that there’s a bottom, to that Black Hole???
Great to see that fanny Joey Barton get his comeuppance all the same.
@Setanta O’Toole: Even if he is going begging to pay the fine.
I’d like to contribute -€10,000 to it and give it to charity?
The original 14.3 billion in 2018 is equal to 17.5 billion now…… The fund is €13.774 billion as of last year…… WOW
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Yep a lot of funds lost value during and after COVID.
Justin looks a bit glassy eyed in the photo
@P. V. Aglue: Driving a 2025 BMW no less!
@john flanagan: back to the future
@john flanagan: he said the AI man was driving
Reminder that people have voted for this and for no change
@Dominic Leleu: well I voted for. Sinn féin as I have mostly over the years. I’m never going to vote for anti Europe anti abortion nut jobs.
On the Gross National Debt of €234.5bn looking at the NTMA figures it shows it at €221bn at end of 2023 but this excludes the €25bn of cash held by the NTMA.
This Debt is 44% of GDP and 76% of GNI
Net Government Debt taking into account cash and other financial assets held by the Government stands at €181bn or 36% of GDP and 62% of GNI
GNI is probably a better measure of our economic situation.
Simply stating that Gross National Debt is €234.5 bn is not the proper way of reporting.
@Paul O’Mahoney: €234.5 billion is the national debt.
With a population of 5.25 million, that’s €45,000 for each person.
Or €93,800 for every person in employment.
Any cash the state might have will disappear very quickly when a crash comes along.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: You are ignoring a few other facts too. Household savings are in excess of 160bn net household wealth is measured at 1.115trn although 68% of that is property with about 350bn mostly pensions and investment funds. Total household debt 130 odd bn of which about 100bn is mortgages.
As for debt per capita yes on a gross level but there are more factors to be considered, net debt per capita might be more important.
@Paul O’Mahoney: For comparison France has a Debt GDP ratio of 115% running a huge deficit and the EU are beginning the process of imposing fines .
Of course the French won’t rectify that so the ECB will cut interest rates again probably twice more which means cheaper money for mortgage holders, which is good news.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: Sovereign Debt never gets paid off and in truth isn’t a liability for citizens as income per capita is meaningless too.
The interest is important and at 3bn pa is very manageable given tax receipts, however the 25bn that comes from multi national companies shouldn’t be relied on for ever, that’s the risk and this was highlighted earlier this week by the Central Bank.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Housegold savings – whatever they are – are only important to that figure of national debt if the state intends to confiscate some of those.
By whatever means.
As you say, so-called “wealth” tied up in property – in the value of our homes – is meaningless.
Unless we are prepared to sell our homes and live on the streets.
And then we have that household debt to add to our woes.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Sovereign debt is very much a liability for citizens.
It is the taxpayer who have to service and pay down this debt.
One way or the other.
We have reduced the national debt slightly over the past few years.
That was by taxpayer money.
Money that could have been used elsewhere, such as investing in infrastructure.
If we did not have such an enormous debt then we would be far better off.
No way , screw you Apple !
We’re the Ralf Wiggum of global economies. lol
@Thesaltyurchin: In what way the figures suggest otherwise.
So we have only lost half a billion since 2018…happy days!!…NOT
Are the government afraid to take the money, they appealed the European decision, seems odd not to want to take billions
have your say