Driest autumn in over 25 years for many areas

Despite the onset of wintery showers in recent days, this autumn was the driest at many weather stations across the country for…

Despite the onset of wintery showers in recent days, this autumn was the driest at many weather stations across the country for at least 25 years, according to Met Éireann.

Most areas of the country had 75 per cent less rainfall than normal for the season, with Birr, Co Offaly, recording its driest autumn since records began in 1954.

While the sunny midlands stayed dry, coastal areas had close to normal levels of rain, with flash-flooding hitting some seaboards. Mayo bore the brunt of the heavy rains on September 19th, when "an exceptional fall" led to severe flooding and landslides in the Pollathomas/Glengad area of the county. A total of 100 millimetres of rain fell during the three-hour thunderstorm.

Dublin's wettest day was on October 21st. Almost a quarter of the season's total rainfall for the area fell during a day of almost continuous hail and thunderstorms.

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When it wasn't raining, it was generally very sunny, according to Met Éireann. In both Kilkenny and Cork Airport, it was the sunniest autumn in more than 40 years.

Olivia Kelly

Olivia Kelly

Olivia Kelly is Dublin Editor of The Irish Times