2022 was Ireland's warmest year on record, Met Éireann says

The report says Ireland’s warming trend continued in 2022 and the country is warming in line with the global average.

It was the driest year since 2011 at both Cork Airport and Roches Point, Co Cork. There were 47 separate dry periods (absolute droughts, partial droughts and dry spells) observed in Ireland during 2022.

The highest daily rainfall total was 54.9mm at Cork Airport, Co Cork, on Sunday, October 16, while there were five storms which affected the island in 2022. 

A hot continental air mass led to a new record maximum daily temperature for July, while heatwave conditions in August brought a new record maximum daily temperature for August.

The all-time highest maximum temperature records were broken: at Phoenix Park on Monday, July 18 (33C which is 12.9C above its 1981-2010 long-term average (LTA) and Durrow, Co Laois, on Saturday, August 13 (32.1C).

Overall, 2022’s average shaded air temperature in Ireland was provisionally 10.83C, which is 1.28C above the 1961-1990 LTA. This makes 2022 the warmest year on record, 0.06C warmer than 2007, the previous warmest year.

Other countries are warming at a greater rate than Ireland and the summer of 2022 saw multiple heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures across Europe and around the world.

The spring and summer of 2022 were drier than average in Ireland, which had negative consequences for agriculture and wider society.

The latest Irish climate change projections indicate further warming in the future, drier summers on average and an increased chance of heatwaves and periods of drought. The Irish summer of 2022 is broadly consistent with projected future trends.

While climate change projections also indicate a trend toward warmer winters, cold periods like those experienced this December cannot be ruled out in any particular year.

Keith Lambkin, head of Met Éireann’s Climate Services Division said: “Climate change has changed the odds of getting more frequent, more extreme heat-related events. 

Thanks to over a century of dedicated weather observations here in Ireland, we know that 2022 brought us record-breaking extremes as well as what is likely to be the warmest year on Irish record. 

"It is essential that we must continue to adapt to ensure our national infrastructures and planning are best suited to both current and future warming.”