Mayo has experienced its wettest August in almost 40 years.

Met Éireann has published its weather provisional statement for August 2024, which shows that monthly rainfall totals reached as high as 257.5mm in Newport, Co Mayo.

This is a record high for the month, with this figure being the second-highest rainfall total since records began, only being topped by August 1985.

The Mayo weather station also experienced the wettest day of the month, as 34.6mm of rain fell on Sunday 4 August.

Two other stations also had record rainfall levels, with Malin Head, Co Donegal, having 181.3mm of rain for the first time in 69 years and Knock Airport, Co Mayo, breaking a 28-year record with 215.4mm.

Met Éireann said that weather conditions for the month were wettest in the northwest of the country and driest in the south and east.

Temperatures

The majority of the country dealt with lower-than-average temperatures for the month, with it being the coldest August since 2017 at 12 weather stations.

Mean temperatures for the month ranged from 13.3°C at Knock Airport, Co Mayo, to 15.8°C at both Phoenix Park, Co Dublin, and Shannon Airport, Co Clare.

The month’s highest temperature was reported at Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin, on Sunday 11 August with a temperature of 24.3°C.

The lowest air minimum was recorded on Saturday 31 August at Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon, with 3.5°C, while the lowest grass minimum was -0.1°C reported at Dublin Airport, Co Dublin, on Friday 30 August.

Sunshine

Met Éireann found that there was more sunshine in the east and southwest of the country for the month.

Figures showed that Donegal had the darkest August, with monthly sunshine totals at Malin Head station at only 121.2 hours.

On the other end of the scale, Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford, had the brightest day, with 12.8 hours of sunshine experienced on Friday 30 August.

Meanwhile, the number of dull days ranged from four days at both Shannon Airport, Co Clare, and Cork Airport, Co Cork, to eight days at Belmullet, Co Mayo.

Wind

Storm Lilian brought some gale force conditions to many weather stations during the month.

Monthly mean wind speeds ranged from 5.9 knots (10.9km/h) at Moore Park, Co Cork, to 17.8 knots (33.0km/h) at Mace Head, Co Galway.

The highest gust reported was 52 knots (96km/h) at Roche’s Point, Co Cork, on Friday 23 August during storm Lillian.

In addition, six stations had their highest mean wind for August on record: Mace Head, Co Galway; Sherkin Island, Co Cork; Dunsany, Co Meath; Gurteen, Co Tipperary; Athenry, Co Galway; and Finner, Co Donegal.