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Understanding Irish Weather | When is the Best Time To Visit Ireland? | Ollie’s Tours

Understanding Irish Weather

The weather in Ireland is dominated by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, which absorbs the heat in the summer and relieves it in winter. Consequently, the Irish climate doesn’t register a strong temperature leap, typical of the other countries in the same latitude.

The rain, which may be divided into downpours and drizzle, is the main climate characteristic in Ireland and in some of its regions, especially on the west side of the island, have been registered peaks of 275 rainy days.

On the other hand, Ireland is known as “the Emerald Isle ” precisely for the rainfall: in fact, the humidity that can be found there gives the island a particular green colour, which emphasizes the beautiful landscape. Besides, farming and breeding, activities that represent the foundation of the Irish economy, have been increased by that particular climate.

Moreover, after the rain, a rainbow might appear. And related to that atmospheric agent, there is the famous legend of the “pot of gold“. According to that story, at the end of a rainbow, there should be hidden a treasure of one of Irish folklore’s most famous creatures: the leprechaun.

About the wind, we can say that it is very frequent and blows especially at the beginning of spring and the end of autumn. In general, the coast is windier than the internal zones.

Being the strong cold rare, in winter it rains a lot and the snow is not a very common phenomenon. So, there are few snowy days, especially in the period from December to March, and in some years it doesn’t snow at all. The only exception is represented by the uplands, where it is easier to find lower temperatures.

But let’s see what the weather in Ireland is like, according to the different seasons and months during the year.

The weather in March, April, and May (spring)

In March the spring begins and the weather becomes milder.

On average, in this month the temperatures range between 4°C and 10°C, so it is not too cold, but it rains a lot. On the other hand, the daylight starts to be longer.

In April, the temperatures tend to be higher, between 5°C to 11°C, and the weather is better than in March.

May is considered the last month of spring. The temperatures range between 7°C and 15°C; that allows people to start doing outdoor activities and going to the park or the sea. In May it doesn’t rain a lot and there are also the first sunny days.

a man and a woman standing in front of a mountain

The weather in June, July, and August (summer)

June is a very nice month. People can go for a day trip, or to the seaside. In the evening, there is daylight until 21, and even if sometimes it rains, the temperatures go from 10°C to 17°C.

In Ireland, the weather in July is perfect: it is warm, and until 23 there is light. It doesn’t rain very much and that allows people to enjoy the summertime.

At the beginning of August, the last month of summer, the temperatures become mild again. There are still good days, but it also rains more than the previous month.

a group of people on a rock

The weather in Ireland in September, October, and November (autumn)

In September, when the temperatures start to decrease until 16°C, and the leaves become red and yellow, nature makes Ireland very suggestive.

October and November may be nice months in Ireland, even if the rain and the cold limit the activities outdoors. The temperatures go from 8°C to 12°C and the hours of light reduction.

The weather in December, January, and February (winter)

The wintertime starts with December, when the lowest temperatures are 3°C or 4°C, and therefore too high for there to be snow.

Sometimes in January, you can drop below zero and there might be snow in the mountains or on the top of some hills. The same is in February.

a person standing next to a body of water

Temperatures in Ireland

There are not so many differences between the north and the south of Ireland, in terms of temperatures, and neither between the west and the east. In the summertime, there are never more than 30°C, but in the last few years, there have been more than 20°C.

So, to sum up, the months when you can take advantage of the sunny days to travel to Ireland, enjoy the summer and do outdoor activities such as walking, sports and photography are from May to September; on the other hand, the coldest months are from December to March.