Those who have bemoaned the passing of another modest Irish summer will have to eat their words, according to Met Éireann, which recorded a hotter July than normal, with temperatures frequently topping 20C.
Temperatures were a degree higher than normal in most areas during the month following "a sequence of warmer than normal months throughout 2003", according to Met Éireann's climatology and observations division.
Dublin got the best of the weather, with daytime temperatures rising above 20C on 20 days during the month. Normally temperatures only go this high eight times during July.
Minimum temperatures across the State were two degrees higher than normal, at a mean between 12C and 13.5C, with Clones, Co Monaghan, recording its highest minimum temperatures on record.
If this seems not to accord with most people's recollection of the last few weeks of weather, that's because while conditions were hot they were also very dull.
July saw the lowest level of sunshine since February.
Valentia observatory and Shannon Airport both recorded the dullest July since 1986, and most other stations have not recorded a more lacklustre high summer in five to nine years.
Only 76 hours of sunshine were recorded for the month at Valentia observatory, "the equivalent of what would be expected there in a typical October", said Met Éireann.
It was also a wet month generally, although there was a wide variation in the number of wet days across the State. While rainfalls were "near normal" in the east and north, in the west conditions were very wet.
In the Dublin area, there were 11 or 12 wet days compared to 20 and 22 days of heavy rain recorded in some stations in Co Mayo.
The weather was at its worst around the middle of the month, with some particularly thundery storms and heavy downpours leading to localised flooding.
The thunderstorms, which were most prevalent from July 13th to July 20th, also brought some freak weather, with hailstones observed on July 27th.
It was also a very windy month, with wind speeds higher than usual in most areas.
The strongest winds were recorded in the second half of the month, with the highest gusts of 54 m.p.h. measured at Belmullet, Co Mayo.
