Four Cork weather stations record warmest February

FOUR weather stations in Cork recorded their warmest February on record last month, with one breaking a countrywide record from 1941.

The information was contained in Met Éireann’s weather statement for February 2024, published this week.

Temperatures up

According to the national forecaster, all mean air temperatures across the country were above their long-term average for the month.

Deviations from mean air temperature ranged from 1.4C (7.2C mean temperature) at Malin Head, in Donegal, to 2.5C (8.3C mean temperature) at Moore Park, in North Cork — its warmest February on record, with records stretching back 55 years.

Mean temperatures for the month ranged from 6.4C (2.2C above its long-term average) at Knock Airport, in Mayo, to 9.3C at Sherkin Island, off the coast of Cork (1.8C above).

This marked the latter’s warmest February on record and the warmest at any station on record since 1941.

Along with Sherkin Island and Moore Park, five other stations also had their warmest February on record, with those record lengths ranging from 19 to 84 years.

These were Cork Airport, with a mean temperature of 8.0C (2.4C above), Roche’s Point with 8.9C (2.0C above), Oak Park with 7.8C (2.2C above), Mount Dillon with 7.3C (2.3C above) and Valentia Observatory with 9.2C (2.01C above).

Five other stations in the Midlands and East had their warmest February since 1998.

Rainfall

The majority of monthly rainfall totals were also above their 1981-2010 long-term averages last month.

The percentage of monthly rainfall values ranged from 87% (monthly rainfall total of 83mm) at Finner, in Donegal, to 222% (monthly rainfall total of 166.1mm) at Cork’s Roche’s Point.

The number of very wet days, a day with 10mm or more of rainfall, ranged from one day at a few stations to eight days at Newport, in Co Mayo.

Monthly mean wind speeds last month ranged from 5.8 knots (10.7km/h) at Moore Park to 16.9 knots (31.3km/h) at Malin Head.

Gales were reported on February 4, 5, 8, 9, 22, 28, and 29, with up to strong gale winds reported on Thursday, February 8, and Friday, February 9.