Indian summer fails to arrive

Predictions of an Indian summer did not quite come to pass last month as forecasters revealed today that September was cooler than normal.

Even though there was more sunshine and less rain, it was still the coolest September for between five and 13 years at most weather stations.

The first half of the month was warm but both daytime and night temperatures fell sharply during the last two weeks and especially in the final week.

According to Met Eireann air and ground temperatures of -1.1C and -6.6C were recorded at Birr, Co Offaly on the 27th – the lowest for September at the station since records began in 1954.

And unusually there was widespread ground frost on the September 18 and again a week later.

Rainfall totals were just over half the normal in many places, but they did not reach the lows seen in the exceptionally dry September of 2002.

Most of the month’s rainfall was recorded between September 16 and 24, while there was around half the normal number of wet days in the month.