Mean temperatures were above normal everywhere with largest differences above normal in the west and southwest. Stations in the southwest reported their warmest January since 2002 (10 years), while stations in the west and midlands reported their warmest January since 2007 (5 years). Maximum air temperatures recorded during January were above normal, with most recorded on the 3rd and with the month’s highest temperature of 13.1°C recorded at Shannon Airport on this date.
Minimum air temperatures were also above normal for the time of year, with Sherkin Island recording a January minimum temperature of 2.5°C, the warmest at the site since 1990 (22 years). Other stations in the south and southwest reported their warmest minimum temperatures in 10 to 19 years, while most remaining stations across the country reported their warmest in at least five years.
Warmer than normal minimums led to stations reporting a below average number of days with air frost, with between zero and four days recorded. Days with ground frost were also below average due to above average grass minimum temperatures. Belmullet reported a minimum grass temperature of -2.2°C, its highest grass minimum since 1983 (29 years) and reported only four days with ground frost, much lower than its January average of 11 days.
Rainfall was above average almost everywhere, except for stations in the south. Roche’s Point and Johnstown Castle received 61% and 63% of their long-term average rainfall, respectively, with Johnstown Castle recording its driest January since 2007 (5 years).
Sunshine totals were below normal almost everywhere with percentage of normals ranging from 50% at Valentia Observatory to 112% at Dublin Airport. Below normal sunshine stations reported it was the dullest January in five to 19 years, with Valentia reporting the least sunshine this month, with 21.9 hours and its dullest January since 1983 (29 years).
