Temperatures rise in Ireland as old reliables weather 2004

MAD March winds, the sunny south east and a white Christmas - Old Man Weather breathed new life into tired clichés in 2004.

After years of only dreaming, the nation finally woke up to the Christmas Guinness had predicted - snow - despite temperatures being on average one degree higher during most of December. In fact the snowfall was all the more surprising given it was the mildest December recorded since 1988 at many weather stations around the country.

Rainfall totals for the month were below normal, except in parts of the northwest and north. Those blessed with the least number of wet days lived in Kilkenny; in the wild and wet of Mayo, Belmullet had 22 days of misery compared to just nine in the south east. Nearby Rosslare recorded 70 hours of sunshine and the highest monthly temperature of 13.5°C on December 22 (its highest December value since 1994).