Ireland records sixth consecutive warmer-than-average October, Met Éireann says

October was milder and wetter than average with low pressure from the Atlantic dominating the weather for most of the month, Met Éireann said in its latest climate statement. Last month was the sixth consecutive October with an above-average national temperature, with the weather service recording a national mean of 11.41 degrees, 0.62 degrees above the long-term average between 1991 and 2020. Rainfall during the month was 120 per cent of the long-term average as two named storms, Austen and Boelo, struck during October.

The month was the 28th mildest October on record since 1900. There was 155.3mm of rain recorded during the month, making it the 24th wettest October on record since 1941. Of the 10 wettest Octobers, four have occurred since 2001. The highest rainfall was recorded in 2022 followed by 2002, 2023 and 2008. High pressure during the third week of October led to mostly dry conditions with sunny spells, but a cooler air mass brought the first air frost of the season on Saturday, October 17th.

As the high pressure pulled away towards Scandinavia, slow-moving weather fronts moved in over the country on October 20th, marking the beginning of a “very wet and windy period during the fourth week” where the North Atlantic jet stream pushed south. This steered several “vigorous low-pressure systems” towards northwest Europe along with the first two named storms of the season. [ How much rain will supersized El Niño bring to Ireland this winter?

Opens in new window ] Storm Austen passed to the south and brought wet and windy weather, especially to the south and east on October 22nd and 23rd. Storm Boelo passed to the north and brought wet and windy weather, especially to the north and west on October 24th and October 25th. Another “deep depression” passed to the north and brought further wet and windy weather across the country on October 26th and October 27th. The month finished calmer and drier as high pressure to the south and east “gradually took control”.