Farmers experience hottest March in 13 years

Met Éireann data has shown that last month was the warmest March since 2012, with an average national temperature of 8.55°C.

The climate statement for March 2025 showed that last month was 1.42°C hotter than the country’s long-term average for the period and the eighth-warmest March since records began.

The national forecaster said that last month was very mild, dry and was also sunny, especially in the east.

The highest maximum temperature was 19°C on Monday 31 March and was recorded at Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon. It was the highest since 2012 and the highest March maximum at any stations since 2017.

The lowest air minimum temperature was also recorded at Mount Dillion at -4.6°C on Saturday 15.

However, all stations reported ground frost during the month, with the number of days with ground frost ranging from three days at Sherkin Island, Co Cork, to 19 days at Phoenix Park, Co Dublin.

Rainfall

Provisional gridded rainfall data suggests that March 2025 averaged at 36.2mm, which is only 38% of the long-term average since 1990.

Dunsany, Co Meath, and Mace Head, Co Galway, had their driest March on record, while Ballyhaise, Co Cavan, had its driest March since 1953, Gurteen, Co Tipperary, had its driest March since 1961 and Dublin Airport had its driest March since 1990.

Two stations had dry spells - a period of 15 or more consecutive days without 1mm or more of precipitation. These were Ballyhaise (between 27 February and 20 March, lasting 22 days) and Finner, Co Donegal (between 6 March and 20 March, lasting 15 days).

The highest daily rainfall total was 25.4mm at Cork Airport, Co Cork, on Friday 21.

“The wettest period of the month was Friday 21 and Saturday 22 when low pressure to the south pushed weather fronts north over the country, with some heavy rain in places, especially in the south and west,” the report said.

Sunshine and wind

The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded last month was 11.3 hours at Belmullet, Co Mayo, on Wednesday 19.

Meanwhile, the number of dull days, with less than 0.5 hours of sunshine, ranged from four at Dublin Airport to nine days at a number of stations.

Mace Head, Co Galway, was the only station to record a gale force wind and there were no strong gale or storm force winds recorded.

The month’s highest 10-minute mean wind speed was reported at Mace Head on Friday 28 at 34 knots or 63km/h, while the month’s highest gust was reported on Saturday 29 at Malin Head, Co Donegal, with 46 knots or 85km/h.

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