Carlow has officially registered the highest temperature of the year so far with 28.8 degrees Celcius at Oak Park on Tuesday the 13th of June.
Met Éireann says it’s the third consecutive year that a temperature at or above this value has been observed in Ireland.
Last month is the hottest June on record in Ireland according to the national forecaster.
The median temperature for the month was 16 Celsius, over a half a degree higher than the last recorded peak 83 years ago.
June 2023 is set to be more than half a degree higher than June 1940.
Paul Moore, climatologist at Met Eireann says Ireland, along with the UK and the rest of Europe, has been seeing a “warming trend” which will continue to bring more extreme weather events.
The unusual thunderstorms which lasted for a number of weeks recently and brought flooding in Kilkenny are also expected to become more likely as the weather continues to warm.
Met Éireann’s Climatologist, Paul Moore says,
“Although temperatures have fallen in recent days, they will not prevent this June’s record-breaking situation. This year’s particularly warm June is part of an observed warming trend and our research shows that this trend will continue. Our recently published TRANSLATE project provides a reminder that right across society we need to understand and plan for a changing climate”.
“An average monthly temperature of greater than 16°C has been seen in July and August but never before in June. June 2023 was well above normal due to persistent warm days and nights.”
“Twenty-three of twenty-five Met Éireann primary weather stations are showing their warmest June on record. In early June, cool easterly winds on the east coast meant that Phoenix Park and Dublin Airport stations were cooler but they still show their warmest June since 1976.”
Climate change makes record-breaking temperatures like these more likely, and the recent marine heatwave off the coast of Ireland has brought extreme sea-surface temperatures to Irish shores.
Met Éireann researcher Dr. Pádraig Flattery explains,
“As climate change continues, we can expect further records to be broken and more frequent and extreme weather events. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture (about 7% for every 1°C of warming) and warmer waters, in turn, provide more energy for storms and can contribute to extreme rainfall events.”
