Mild December ends year of record warmth

December was the warmest in decades in several parts of the country, according to Met Éireann, rounding off a year of record temperatures nationally and worldwide.

Despite the miserable summer, the year as a whole was the warmest in many places since records began, with December being a particularly mild and sunny month.

The temperature was above normal at all Met Éireann weather stations by about one degree, with Valentia Observatory recording temperatures of almost two degrees above normal for December.

The west and southwest of the country had a particularly mild December, but didn't see very much sun and had the highest rainfall totals for the month. Shannon airport recorded its highest December temperature since 1948 on December 4th when it reached 15.3 degrees. At Valentia it was the warmest December since 1988 with a monthly mean of 9.5 degrees recorded.

While it was very warm in the west last December, it was also very, very wet. At Shannon airport the amount of rainfall was 67 per cent above normal, in Claremorris it was 33 per cent above normal and at Valentia Observatory rainfall was 20 per cent above normal.

The midlands were also very rainy with 39 per cent more rain than normal recorded in Birr and 31 per cent more than normal in Mullingar.

The only places where there was less rain than usual were Cork Airport (down 2 per cent), Casement Aerodrome, where there was 7 per cent less rain than normal, and Rosslare, where rainfall was 35 per cent lower than usual.

Places to head for the sun in December were Casement Aerodrome and Belmullet where the sunshine levels were 27 per cent and 25 per cent above normal for December, respectively. It was also sunny in Mullingar - 22 per cent above normal, and Malin Head at 19 per cent above normal. However, at Shannon airport it was duller than usual, at 11 per cent less sunshine than normal.

For the year as a whole it was the warmest since records began at many weather stations, while internationally it was the fifth warmest year since records began in 1880.