Met Eireann have released there seasonal summer report, based on the data from our Synoptic stations from around Ireland and it shows that summer 2018 was one of the driest and hottest summers in over 20 years.

The weather included thunderstorms, heat waves, named storms and droughts. The following report is a summary of the weather for summer 2018.

Summer Summary 2018

The summer of 2018 will be remembered for heat wave and drought conditions that affected many parts of the country. Intense thunderstorms were also a feature at the start of the meteorological season. Temperatures were above normal and rainfall amounts were below normal at most stations. Large blocking high pressure systems were the dominant feature of the summer. This kept the north Atlantic jet stream to the north of Ireland. The periods through the summer where high pressure dominated were the first two weeks in June, ending temporarily with the arrival of Storm Hector on 14th June. High pressure to the north stretched from the Azores to Scandinavia at times between the 21st June and the 14th July. This gave slack winds and very warm mainly dry conditions. In between these dry settled spells and especially during August a weak jet stream moved south over Ireland, with frontal troughs and showers crossing the country from time to time. However most of the rain fell in the north and west of the country.

Summer Records

32.0°C recorded at Shannon Airport, Co Clare on the 28th, the highest temperature ever recorded at a synoptic station in Ireland. 109.5mm, total summer rainfall for Cork Airport, driest summer on record (record length 56 years).

Summer Heat Waves

There were heat wave conditions recorded at 15 stations at various times between the 24th June and the 4 th July.

Summer Absolute Droughts

There were absolute drought conditions recorded at 21 stations at various times between the 22nd May and the 14th July.

Summer Partial Droughts

There were partial conditions recorded at 10 stations at various times between the 28th May and the 25th July. Summer Dry Spells There were dry spells recorded at 5 stations at various times between the 18th June and the 14th July.

SPONSORSHIP AND ADVERTISE WITH DONEGAL WEATHER CHANNEL

Lowest average seasonal temperatures

Lowest average seasonal temperatures were in Malin Head in Donegal, where the mean temperature was 14.3C.

Finner Donegal

Finner, Co Donegal was the only place in the country where the rainfall total was not below average across the season.

Oak Park, Co Carlow

Rainfall was lowest in Oak Park, Co Carlow, which recorded its driest August since 2011.

IRISH WATER EXTEND HOSEPIPE BAN FOR 16 COUNTY'S UNTIL THE 30TH OF SEPTEMBER

On the 28th of August Irish water extended there hosepipe ban for 16 county's until the 30th of September. The Board determined that the Water Conservation Order will remain in place for the Greater Dublin Area which includes Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare and in counties Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Laois, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny until Sunday, 30 September 2018.

While Ireland has seen some rainfall and people may not think its as bad as they are saying well you would be wrong to think so as areas under this ban and there water supply remains very critical. Below this is shown by photos took by Skycam Ireland which shows the difference 2 months make at Vartry Reservoir. On the 7th of July Reservoir water levels where at good levels but current image shown the Reservoir on the 4th of September show that the reservoir water level is still at very critical levels as seen below.