Brighter and drier weather in April except for Cork

Ireland had a drier April than usual - with the notable exception of Cork where most stations reported their wettest April in five years.

According to Met Éireann’s monthly summary, the weather station at Cork Airport recorded 137 percent of long term averages for rain, while the station at Markree Castle Co Sligo recorded values as low as 30 per cent of average. Weather stations in the western half of the country with below average values mainly reported their driest April in six or seven years.

In was bad news again for Cork in terms of sunshine levels, Cork Airport recorded its dullest April since 1996.

Conditions were brighter at Dublin Airport where sunshine levels of 118 percent were recorded.

The month’s sunniest day was at Shannon Airport on the 29th with 13.7 hours, its sunniest April day since the station opened in 1946.

Temperatures were above their long term averages everywhere with differences above average of up to 2°C at Finner, Co Donegal.

The month’s highest temperature was recorded at Newport Co Mayo on the 28th with 20.4°C, equalling its highest maximum in 11 years.

Cork featured again with minimum air temperatures of 2.5°C at Cork Airport but it should be noted this was the highest minimum for April since the station opened in 1962.

But if Cork was dull and wet it was not as windy as some places.

Monthly mean windspeeds ranged from six knots (12km/h) at Fermoy Co Cork to 14 knots (26km/h) at Malin Head.

Gale force winds were reported on the 6th and 25th along parts of the Atlantic coast, with the highest 10-minute windspeed of 35 knots (65 km/h) recorded at Malin Head on the 6th and at Sherkin Island on the 25th.

Sherkin Island also recorded the month’s wettest day on the 25th, with 25mls of rain.

Thunderstorms were recorded on less than a third of the days with the severest activity reported on the 27th , which included one report of a funnel cloud in the Cork area.

A funnel cloud is a rotating funnel-shaped cloud usually the core of a tornado or waterspout.

Mullingar reported the highest amount of days with ground frost with 15, while the number of days with air frost were up to four at Dublin Airport, with stations in the Midlands and East reporting air frost on the 11th, 15th and between the 18th and 20th.

But conditions are expected to be good for the May bank holiday with many places dry, if cloudy.

Sunshine levels are expected to pick up during Saturday with highs of up to 16 degrees Celsius.

On Sunday some cloudier weather is expected with the continuing threat of a little rain at times in parts of the west and southwest.

Highs of 12 to 16 degrees in moderate southerly breezes.

The forecast for bank holiday Monday is for freshening southerly winds bringing rain eastwards during the day, but many parts of the east and north could stay dry until evening.

Highest temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees in fresh southerly winds.