Sean Murray: Ireland is getting warmer and wetter—and we need to prepare for it

We have been warned that we must prepare for more extreme weather events as it is now warmer in all four seasons, and warmer in every region of Ireland while annual average rainfall has increased. 

A major deluge of rain in Tralee caused significant flooding to the town recently. Met Éireann’s publication this week of a summary of Ireland’s climate averages for the 30-year period from 1991 to 2020 shows that it’s worth remembering even at a time when the rain is pelting down and temperatures are mild—but nothing too warm—that Ireland’s climate is still changing. Photo: Domnick Walsh

On July 18 last year, a temperature of 33C was reported at the Phoenix Park weather station in Dublin, the hottest the mercury has reached in well over 100 years. It came during a sustained heatwave, both here in Ireland and right across the continent.

This year, again on July 18, there was a weather warning for rain in Ireland, with the risk of localised flooding in places, as much of the country was pelted with downpours.