Weather: Ireland

Ireland is less likely than the UK to surprise visitors with unexpected weather. Positioned further into the Atlantic, the Emerald Isle has a more uniform temperature regime than the UK, and over 50 percent more rain as a whole. Cold snaps tend to lose their punch by the time they make it across the sea to Ireland; the chilliest ever observed here is only –19°C/–2°F, and the island's south coast is as mild as Cornwall. Snow covers the ground less than a week a year on average, with more in the Wicklow mountains and other higher elevations, and little or none on the Atlantic shores. Summer temperatures nationwide are on the cool side, close to those found in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The rains in mid-summer are about as frequent and heavy as in England and Wales, increasing as you travel to the west coast. Thunder seldom interrupts a conversation here; the greatest number of storms – more than ten a year – develop across the northwest corner, often during the winter. As a rule, winter rainfall is generous nationwide. The west coast sees deluges and gales similar to those on Scotland's west coast, with temperatures not quite as chilly. Somewhat sheltered, the eastern lowlands are the least damp pocket of Ireland in the winter, similar to England's Thames basin. On average, Dublin sees no more wet days than London, though the rain here does tend to be a bit heavier.