Sunshine Scarce Nationwide as Cloudy Conditions Persist

Met Éireann’s latest farming weather report highlights a notably dull week across the country, with sunshine levels well below average in most areas and large regional contrasts in rainfall.

While some improvement is expected in the coming week, cloud cover is set to persist, keeping sunshine amounts near or below normal.

Sunshine was particularly scarce in the northwest and midlands, where just 6.4 hours were recorded at Knock Airport—only 22% of the long-term average. Even the sunniest parts of the country fell short, with Cork Airport registering just 25.6 hours (68% of average) over the week. The outlook remains mixed, with cloud expected to dominate in the days ahead and sunshine levels likely to remain subdued. This prolonged lack of brightness is having knock-on effects for drying and spraying conditions, though opportunities will still arise between showers.

Rainfall over the past week varied dramatically, with some parts of the country saturated and others much drier than usual. Casement Aerodrome in Dublin recorded 68mm of rain—more than five times the normal amount (521%), making it the wettest part of the country. In stark contrast, just 3.1mm fell at Knock Airport in the west, representing only 14% of the average. For the week ahead, rainfall amounts are expected to be close to or slightly above average in most areas, though Munster is likely to remain drier than usual.

Air temperatures were generally close to or slightly above normal last week, ranging from 15.1°C to 16.9°C. Soil temperatures were significantly higher than average, between 16.6°C and 18.9°C—some 1.2 to 2.7 degrees above the seasonal norm. These conditions are expected to continue, with both air and soil temperatures remaining steady and slightly above average over the coming days.

Despite the dull conditions, drying is expected to be moderate to good on most days, although spells of rain and drizzle may cause some delays. Spraying conditions will be broadly favourable when dry windows occur, but farmers are advised to act quickly between showers.

Soil moisture deficits (SMDs) currently range from 5 to 25mm across most of the country, with soils in many areas drying steadily. However, poorly drained soils in the west and north remain saturated or close to it. With rainfall easing somewhat, soils across much of the country are likely to become drier in the week ahead, though saturation may persist in parts of the north.