Cork records coldest December in 12 years

A CORK weather station had its coldest December in more than 10 years last month, according to Met Éireann’s weather statement.

The mean air temperature recorded at the weather station on Sherkin Island was 7.0 °C, 1.0 °C below its long-term average (LTA), which marked the coldest December on Sherkin since 2010.

All mean air temperatures across the country were below their LTA for the month.

The month’s lowest air and grass minimum temperatures were both recorded at Mount Dillon in Roscommon.

The lowest air temperature was reported on Friday, December 16 at -8.8 °C — the station’s lowest minimum in December since 2010 and the lowest minimum in Ireland since December 2010.

All stations reported air and ground frost during the month.

The number of days with ground frost ranged from eight days at Sherkin to 28 days at Markree in Sligo.

Meanwhile last month, the majority of monthly rainfall totals across the country were below their LTA while all available sunshine totals were above their LTA.

Monthly sunshine totals ranged from 30.9 hours at Malin Head in Donegal to 78.7 hours at Cork Airport.

The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded in December was seven hours at Cork Airport, on Thursday, December 15.

Commenting on the weather last month, Met Éireann said the first half of December 2022 saw “very cold arctic air masses dominating, with high pressure to the north and the Jetstream displaced well to the south of Ireland, leading to drier than average conditions”.

The second half of the month, the national forecaster said, was “less cold with Atlantic low pressure systems dominating bringing wetter than average conditions”.