IRELAND has just experienced its warmest summer since records began in 1900 according to Met Éireann.
The national average temperature reached 16.19°C, which surpasses the previous high of 16.11°C recorded twenty years ago.
This year has also seen the warmest spring as well, with current trends indicating that 2025 could become the hottest year ever recorded on the island.
On their website, Met Éireann stated:
“Of the top 10 warmest summers, six of them have occurred since the 2000s (2025, 2006, 2018, 2023, 2013 and 2022, from warmest to least warm). The addition of 2025 to this list makes summer 2023 drop out of the top five warmest summers on record.”
According to Paul Moore, a climatologist with Met Éireann, the rising temperatures are part of a larger, unmistakable pattern linked to human-induced climate change.
Moore highlighted that nighttime temperatures in particular are climbing faster than daytime ones.
This is partly due to phenomena like marine heatwaves, which add more heat and moisture to the atmosphere.
The result is a general increase in temperatures, not only during the day but also overnight.
While springs and summers are becoming warmer, they are also expected to be drier overall, unless interrupted by specific atmospheric conditions.
When low-pressure systems take hold, the increased atmospheric moisture from evaporation can lead to heavier rainfall events.
On the other hand, when high pressure dominates, it can result in extended dry spells, droughts, and heatwaves.
These changes pose particular challenges for Irish farmers.
While the growing season has extended, allowing crops to start earlier and finish later, the variability in conditions has made planning difficult.
In some years, waterlogged soils in spring prevent farmers from working their land, while in others, drought conditions delay growth and reduce yields.
With global temperatures now over 1.1°C warmer than pre-industrial levels, the island's weather patterns are evolving in different and unpredictable ways.
See More: Climate Change, Met Eireann, Weather
