Highest minimum temperatures for April are recorded

A CORK weather station reported its highest minimum temperature for April on record last month, according to Met Éireann’s weather statement for April 2024.

The national forecaster said two stations, Johnstown Castle in Wexford with 3.5C and Roches Point with 3.9C, had their highest minimum temperature for April on record.

The record lengths were 54 years and 19 years, respectively.

April 2024, Met Éireann said, was “another month dominated by Atlantic low pressure with above-average rainfall and temperatures”.

All rainfall totals were above their 1981-2010 Long-Term Average (LTA) for the month.

Percentage of monthly rainfall values ranged from 105% (monthly rainfall total of 79.5mm) at Finner, Co Donegal, to 189% (April 2024’s highest monthly rainfall total of 132.9mm) at Johnstown Castle — which marked the latter’s wettest April since 2002 and fourth-wettest April since 1941.

Elsewhere, eight other stations had their wettest April since 2009.

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

Percentages of LTA sunshine values were variable across the country.

The number of dull days — a day with less than half an hour of sunshine — ranged from four days at a few stations to seven days at both Valentia Observatory in Kerry and Cork Airport.

Meanwhile, Storm Kathleen brought the windiest period of the month on Saturday, April 6.

The number of days with gales ranged from zero days at a few stations to five days at Malin Head in Donegal.

The number of days with strong gales ranged from zero days at most stations to one day at five stations.