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In Ireland, the weather is a very common topic of casual conversation. This is probably because it changes so often: a single day can see multiple transitions from rain to sunshine and vice versa. Ireland’s insular location, placed at the north western extremity of Europe and surrounded by the North Atlantic on three sides, makes the country receptive to the effects of the Gulf Stream, blessing it with a much milder climate than other areas at such latitude, but also opens it to the fierce winter storms blowing in from the Atlantic. The overall result is a climate described as “mild, moist and changeable”, with winters that are rarely very cold and summers that do not tend to be extremely hot. The high precipitation is what makes much of Ireland so fertile, and the prevailing (and frequent) south westerly winds provide the high frequency of change, which has given rise to the romantic nickname “Isle of the Rainbows”.
As the island is relatively small, there are only limited differences between weather patterns in different regions. Broadly speaking, areas near the western, northern and southern coasts are somewhat more prone to wind and rain, while upland areas across the country are – as anywhere in the world – more likely to experience the extremes of winter.
Visitors to Ireland, no matter at what time of year, should be prepared for changeable conditions. Even during a week-long stay, one is likely to encounter both rain and sunshine, both windy and calm days – but few of the latter.
Average Temperature in Ireland in Degrees Celsius |
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
Cork | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 7 |
Dublin | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 7 |
Galway | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 7 |
Sligo | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 8 |
If you work better in Fahrenheit, please visit this temperature conversion page
If you would like to check what the weather is currently doing in Ireland, please take a look at an Irish weather forecast