Ireland from space 1 — A cloud-covered Ireland, as seen from space on Sunday. Credit **NASA**

Satellite images taken from space on Sunday show largely overcast conditions across Ireland, with just occasional breaks in the cloud allowing for brief spells of sunshine in some areas.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite passed over the island during the day, capturing a bird’s eye view of the widespread cloud cover. In Dublin City, where the highly anticipated All-Ireland Senior Football Final between Kerry and Donegal took place at Croke Park, scattered cloud dominated the skies. However, some sunny breaks did make an appearance over the capital during the afternoon, offering a welcome if brief burst of brightness for the thousands of fans attending the match.

Further south, satellite data revealed similar conditions over Bagenalstown in County Carlow, with patches of cloud broken by intermittent sunshine. In the northeast, clearer skies were seen around Warrenpoint in County Down, where sunshine managed to push through the cloud layer.

The past week has been notably dull across the country, according to Met Éireann. Sunshine levels have fallen well below normal, particularly in the east. Dublin Airport recorded just 10.6 hours of sunshine over the past seven days—only 29% of the long-term average. Conditions were slightly brighter in parts of the south and west, with Cork Airport logging 28 hours of sunshine, which is 75% of typical levels for this time of year.

High pressure will continue to edge further north through the week, bringing more settled and often drier conditions to southern and eastern parts of Ireland. Meanwhile, the north and northwest will remain more changeable, with occasional rain or showers at times. Temperatures will generally remain near or slightly above average, especially in the south and southeast, with a mix of cloud, sunshine, and light winds across the country.