‘Unusually wet and dull’: Met Éireann says record rainfall in Cork last month

THREE Cork weather stations broke records for the amount of rain that fell last month, in what Met Éireann described as an “unusually wet and dull” March.

According to the national forecaster’s weather statement for March 2023, the majority of monthly rainfall totals were above their 1981-2010 Long-Term Average (LTA).

In Cork, the weather station at Cork Airport had its wettest March since 1981, with 211.3mm of rain falling over the course of the month.

Additionally, the station on Sherkin Island, just off the southwest Cork coast, recorded its wettest March since 1989 with 179.6mm of rain.

Meanwhile, the Moorepark weather station in Fermoy also had its wettest March since 1996 with 144.4mm of rain reported.

Met Éireann also revealed that nearly all mean air temperatures were above their LTA for the month.

Mean temperatures for the month ranged from 6.0°C (0.3°C above its LTA) at Knock Airport in Mayo to 8.4°C (0.1°C below its LTA) at Sherkin Island.

All stations reported ground frost during the month.

The number of days with ground frost ranged from three days at Sherkin Island to 16 days at a few stations.

The March report showed that all available monthly sunshine totals were below their LTA.

Monthly sunshine totals ranged from 46.7 hours at Cork Airport to 105.5 hours at Belmullet in Mayo. The number of dull days – characterised as a day with less than 30 minutes of sunshine - ranged from six days at Malin Head in Donegal to 14 days at both Cork Airport and Johnstown Castle in Wexford.

Monthly mean wind speeds ranged from 6.2 knots (11.5 km/h) at Ballyhaise in Cavan to 14.7 knots (27.2 km/h) at Sherkin Island.

Gales were reported on seven days during the month.

The number of days with gale force winds ranged from zero days at most stations to three days at both Roche’s Point at the entrance to Cork Harbour, and Mace Head in Galway.