Elevated sea temperatures that fuelled record rainfall in Ireland are still far above normal 

The increased energy in warmer seas contributes to the formation of more frequent and more powerful storms such as those that lashed Irish coastal counties in recent years. File picture: Gareth Fuller/PA

Elevated global sea temperatures that helped fuel Ireland's record rainfall in the past year are still way above the norm, experts have said.

The El Niño weather event that has led tp a global spike in air temperatures may be coming to a close, but average global sea surface temperatures remain “exceptionally high”, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

WMO deputy secretary general Ko Barrett said: “The end of El Niño does not mean a pause in long-term climate change as our planet will continue to warm due to heat-trapping greenhouse gases. 

Exceptionally high sea surface temperatures will continue to play an important role during next months.

Climate scientists believe that an unprecedented marine heatwave off Ireland's west coast last June, with sea temperatures reaching up to 5C above normal, not only disrupted biodiversity but was also a contributory factor to the unprecedented levels of rainfall in the summer and autumn months, culminating in the likes of Storm Babet in October

El Niño is a naturally occurring weather pattern which sees heat released from the Pacific Ocean, but it is helping to contribute to record rising temperatures alongside global warming caused by human behaviour. 

It brings wetter and warmer air, and Ireland has faced heavy rainfall during this most recent event.

It occurs every two to seven years, and can last from nine to 12 months. This El Niño event peaked last December as one of the five strongest on record.

The past nine years have been the warmest on record, even with the cooling influence of a multi-year La Niña from 2020 to early 2023.

Mr Barrett added: “Our weather will continue to be more extreme because of the extra heat and moisture in our atmosphere. 

"La Niña conditions generally follow strong El Niño events, and this is in line with recent model predictions, although high uncertainty remains regarding its strength or duration.”