Mayo sees three times normal rainfall

County Mayo recorded more than three times its usual rainfall during the past week, according to figures from Met Éireann.

Knock Airport logged 79.3mm of rain, 316 per cent of the average, making it the wettest part of the country. By contrast, the driest conditions were in the south, where Roche’s Point in Co Cork measured just 17.7mm.

Overall, rainfall across Ireland ranged from 91 per cent to 316 per cent of the long-term norm, with western counties worst affected.

The unsettled conditions are set to continue in the week ahead. Showers and longer spells of rain are forecast on most days, with totals of 30 to 50mm expected widely and higher amounts possible in exposed Atlantic areas.

Temperatures over the past week were mostly above average. Dublin Airport recorded a mean of 15.3 degrees, 0.9 degrees above normal. The exception was Claremorris in Mayo, which came in slightly cooler than average at 13.3 degrees. Soil temperatures remain elevated, between 14.8 and 16.8 degrees.

Sunshine levels varied sharply. Knock Airport in Mayo recorded just 10.2 hours, only 39 per cent of the norm, while Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford saw 38.1 hours, exceeding its average by 10 per cent.

The coming days are expected to remain cooler than recently, but mean air temperatures will generally be close to or slightly above normal. Sunshine levels are likely to fall below average in the west and hover around normal in the east.