On This Day (21 March) in Irish Weather History

A chronological list of weather events and extremes that took place in Ireland on this day down through history.

1964: Heavy rainfall leads to flooding in parts of the south and southeast. Waterford City and Macroom, County Cork, are particularly badly affected.

1980: Met Éireann warns of further snowfall as freezing conditions persist. On the same day, the Mi Amigo sinks and Radio Caroline goes off-air in Ireland and across northwest Europe.

1985: Some schools remain closed, and traffic is disrupted across the northwest following heavy snow.

1989: The Irish Times reports that average temperatures across Ireland have dropped by 0.5°C over the past two decades despite a 0.3°C increase in global temperatures in the same period.

1997: The Hale-Bopp Comet, a 25-mile-wide ball of ice and dust, is visible over Ireland.

2005: Valentia in Kerry records its March record temperature as the mercury level there rises to 20.7°C. On the same day, lingering fog in Rosslare leads to a daily maximum of just 8.7°C.

2015: A near-total solar eclipse takes place with the best views enjoyed along Ireland’s south coast.