June frost recorded in Mullingar area
If you thought June was a tad chilly around Mullingar, you most certainly weren’t imagining it: ground frost was recorded on four days of what was the coldest June of the last nine years, according to Met Éireann.
On top of that, the lowest grass minimum temperature recorded nationwide was minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, which was recorded at Mullingar on Tuesday, June 11.
Overall, June 2024 had an average temperature of 13.18 °C – 0.33°C below the 1981-2010 long term average (LTA), 0.51 °C below the 1991-2020 LTA and 0.04 °C below the 1961-1990 LTA for June.
June 2024 was the 56th coldest June in the 125-year dataset and the coldest since June 2015.
By contrast, June of last year was the warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 16.22 °C, and June 1972 was the coldest June with an average temperature of 11.08 °C.
The Met Éireann analysis found that June 2024 was a relatively dry and cool month overall.
All monthly rainfall totals across the country were below their 1981-2010 LTA. Percentage of monthly rainfall values ranged from 43% (monthly rainfall total of 35.1mm) at Cork Airport, (its driest June since 2018) to 94% (monthly rainfall total of 67.7mm) at Finner, County Donegal. The number of ‘very wet days’ ranged from zero at a few stations to four at Newport, County Mayo.
Nearly all mean air temperatures were below their LTA for the month. The month’s highest temperature was reported at Phoenix Park on Monday June 24 with a temperature of 26.6 °C. The month’s lowest air minimum was recorded on Wednesday June 12 at Claremorris, County Mayo.
There was no air frost reported in June. Fewer than half of stations reported ground frost. The number of days with ground frost ranged from zero at Shannon Airport to four at both Mullingar and at Mount Dillon, County Roscommon.
All available sunshine totals were above their LTA. The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded this month was 15.9 hours at Gurteen, County Tipperary on Wednesday June 19. The number of dull days (deemed to be days with fewer than 0.5 hours of sunshine) ranged from one at a few stations to five at both Valentia Observatory, County Kerry and Belmullet, County Mayo.
Monthly mean wind speeds ranged from 5.2 knots (9.6kmh) at Ballyhaise, County Cavan to 14.5 knots (26.9kmh) at Malin Head, County Donegal. Gales were reported on Thursday June 27.