Weather in Ireland

Expats living in Ireland will fast learn that Irish Mist is more than just a whisky, it's a permanent state of being. Rain is the primary building block of weather in Ireland, and it can come as a thunderstorm, a soft shower, or commonly as a fine mist.

Temperatures on the small island remain quite moderate; extremes are a rarity. Summer months settle between 16°C to 21°C (60°F to 70°F) and winter months move between 4°C to 10°C (40°F to 50°F).

Spring is for the most part the driest time of year, except in the eastern part of the country. Otherwise, precipitation is at its heaviest in winter and fall. Snow is not a common occurrence, but as mentioned, rain is the norm.

In the wetter areas of the country (northwest, west and southwest) there can be as many as 200 days that receive at least 1mm of precipitation per year. These are mostly the mountainous regions like Kerry, Donegal and Galway.

Weather in Ireland is certainly no draw card, but the little rainbows that follow short spurts of rainfall and the relatively mild temperatures also don't make it the most miserable of destinations.