logo
Is there such a thing as 'Leaving Cert weather'?

Is there such a thing as 'Leaving Cert weather'?

RTÉ News​28-05-2025

As generations of Irish people know, June means the start of the exam seasons - and that usually also means good weather. Indeed, it's a common scenario for Leaving Cert students to find themselves revising maths and trying to work out which Irish poet will come up in the midst of blue skies and sunshine. We talked to Met Éireann meteorologist Liz Gavin to find out if there really is a connection between the Leaving Cert season and good weather.
Do the weather records back up the popular notion of typical Leaving Cert weather for June?
The meteorological summer months (June, July and August) are the warmest months in Ireland. When we measure how warm, dry or sunny a month or season has been, it is in comparison with a standard reference period of 30 years that we compare it with.
Let's take a look back at the past seven years in Ireland in comparison to the climatological reference period 1961-1990. According to Dr Sandra Spillane from Met Éireann, "the last seven consecutive Junes in Ireland were all above their Long Term Average temperature, with June 2015 being slightly below normal. However while June is one of the warmest months of the year, it is usually not hotter than July.
From RTÉ News, Met Éireann forecasts good weather for the next week
Since we transition from the cooler meteorological spring months to our meteorological summer, it may feel warmer in the days of June around the time the Leaving Cert commences than if the temperatures had occurred at the end of the summer. You can find more details on the climate of Ireland here.
Is June usually the sunniest and driest month of the year weather-wise in Ireland?
"Because of the variation in length of day from winter to summer, the duration of sunshine has a marked seasonal variation." As a consequence December is on average the dullest month with the least sunshine and "normally May or June are the sunniest months in Ireland" according to Spillane.
Forecasting sunny weather is partly about observing what is not there, and that is of course the clouds. Forecasters also use their knowledge of atmospheric pressure to predict sunshine, along with satellite imagery which gives forecasters a picture of the sky from above and helps give greater detail about expected sunshine levels. The highest monthly total of sunshine hours that has been recorded for June in Ireland since 1942, was recorded in Rosslare, Co. Wexford in June 1959 with 301.0 hours of sunshine.
Although many of us may long for sunny weather, there are downsides also as sustained periods of dry and sunny weather can lead to dry periods. In Ireland, a climatological partial drought is a period of a least 29 consecutive days when the mean daily rainfall does not exceed 0.2mm and an absolute drought is a period of 15 consecutive days or more to which none are credited to 0.2mm.
Looking back at last summer, it was much drier than usual, reaching only 75% of typical rainfall compared to the 1981-2010 long-term average. June 2022 was drier, warmer and sunnier in the East but wetter, cooler and cloudier in the West. You can find our more on past weather in Ireland here.
Is this regularity down to any particular set of circumstances?
The hottest days occur in summer, when large areas of high pressure or anticyclones build up close to Ireland and they become slow-moving. In these situations, the jet stream may be forced to divert around the high pressure, often deflecting areas of low pressure to the north of Ireland leaving much of the country with dry and settled weather, often for days or even weeks at a time. In anticyclonic conditions, the air descends, which can reduce cloud formation and lead to clear blue skies, light winds and settled weather in summer.
From RTÉ Radio 1's The Business, what does sunshine do to our brains?
Our highest temperatures in Ireland usually occur when we are under the influence of tropical continental air, originating over North Africa and southern Europe. We are also likely to see sunny weather in Ireland with dry continental air coming from east to west, where as cloudy weather is more likely to be the result of a moist oceanic airflow from west to east
High temperatures and heatwaves are often front page news. A heatwave is an extended period of hot weather. In Ireland, a heatwave occurs when the daily maximum air temperature at a Met Éireann weather station is greater than 25 degrees Celsius for five or more consecutive days. Ireland occasionally experiences heatwaves but to a lesser frequency and intensity than those seen elsewhere around the world due to our more temperate climate being situated at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The longest heatwave in Ireland was for 14 days in August 1976.
As greenhouse gas concentrations continue to increase, research shows that extreme weather events such as heatwaves will increase in frequency and intensity over most land areas. For more information on understanding past Irish summers check out .

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Irish holidaymakers heading to Spain hit with severe weather warning
Irish holidaymakers heading to Spain hit with severe weather warning

Irish Daily Mirror

time5 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Irish holidaymakers heading to Spain hit with severe weather warning

Spain's meteorological agency has issued a weather warning for high temperatures and potential thunderstorms, which could impact Irish tourists travelling to the popular holiday destination this week as the summer season kicks in. An orange warning, denoting 'important risk', has been issued by Agencia Estatal de Meteorología for Tuesday as temperatures soar throughout Spain. This is likely to be accompanied by heavy showers and thunderstorms in several areas of the country. The northeast of Spain could see temperatures reach highs of 40C, while many areas will be in the mid-30Cs. The orange weather warnings are in place for the regions of Aragon, Castilla y Lyon, Cataluna, Pais Vasco and La Rioja. A spokesperson for AEMET said: "Severe storms will occur across large areas of the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula, with heavy showers also likely in western Galicia, the Cantabrian region, the upper Ebro, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Pyrenees. Significantly high temperatures will occur in low-lying areas in the northeast and inland areas of the southern Iberian Peninsula." Many holiday destinations in Spain will be scorching this week, with conditions that would be considered heatwave in Ireland expected. Malaga and surrounding areas will range between the high 20Cs and high 30Cs, while Cordoba and Zaragoza could see the mercury hit 40C. The capital Madrid will also be sizzling, while other areas will get away with cooler conditions with 25-30C forecast for Barcelona and Seville. Valencia, located on Spain's east coast, will see temperatures fluctuate between 30C and 35C. Spain continues to be the most popular holiday destination for Irish tourists, with more than 2.5 million visits made each year to the hotspot.

Spain Orange weather warnings as new map pinpoints hottest cities amid 42C blast & warning for Irish tourists on holiday
Spain Orange weather warnings as new map pinpoints hottest cities amid 42C blast & warning for Irish tourists on holiday

The Irish Sun

time6 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Spain Orange weather warnings as new map pinpoints hottest cities amid 42C blast & warning for Irish tourists on holiday

A NEW map has revealed which Spanish cities are hottest as the country is engulfed in an unprecedented heatwave. 3 Irish holidaygoers have been given a major warning Credit: meteorologix 3 Spain has multiple weather alerts in place Credit: aemet And multiple weather warnings have been in place for some of May and much of June so far. It means that Irish holidaygoers hoping to enjoy a There's a high chance that they will spend most of their The new map, from Meteorologix, shows the entire country scorched by temperatures from 21C up to 40C. READ MORE IN NEWS No area is predicted to be below 21C, generally considered heatwave conditions in Ireland. And some of the worst affected places are popular Spanish tourist destinations. The map reveals that the area surrounding Cordoba will reach blistering temperatures between 35C and 40C. And although coastal party hotspot Malaga is forecast to be in the high 20s, the inland area nearby will reach between 35C and 40C. MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN The area east of Spain's capital, Locals and tourists batten down hatches as 'Red Alert' Storm Nuria to smash Canary Islands TODAY Temperatures there will reach between 35C and 37C, although the wider area will sit at around 33C. Lastly, the popular city Zaragoza will likely see temperatures climb as high as 40C. The surrounding area will likely be about 35C, while the wider region if forecast to be about 32C. But even the cities that won't see maximum temperatures will still be sizzling. MULTIPLE WEATHER WARNINGS Some of the most popular holiday spots are predicted to see highs of 30C. Coastal And inland Seville is predicted to be between 27C and 30C. On the east coast, Valencia will have temperatures of 30C to 35C. There are multiple weather warnings in place from the country's meteorology department, AEMET. Posting on "Maximum warning level: orange." The orange weather warnings are in place for the regions of Aragon, Castilla y Lyon, Cataluna, Pais Vasco, and La Rioja. 3 No area will be below 21C Credit: meteorologix

Ireland's weather set to get drier and warmer but no summer heatwave on the horizon
Ireland's weather set to get drier and warmer but no summer heatwave on the horizon

Irish Independent

timea day ago

  • Irish Independent

Ireland's weather set to get drier and warmer but no summer heatwave on the horizon

Met Éireann's long range forecast has indicated that, from June 16, Ireland's weather will get drier, warmer and more settled - a boost to tourists, families and day trippers alike. Concert-goers are also heaving a sigh of relief amid predictions the trio of Zach Bryan concerts in Dublin's Phoenix Park from June 20-22 will see dry, settled weather with temperatures of 20C to 21C. However, while settled weather is expected to last until early July, there are no indicators that temperatures will soar to Riviera-like values or even the remarkable sunshine of early May. Long-range weather specialists, Accuweather, have forecast that temperatures in Ireland will not rise above 21C in June - and will only climb to 22C/23C in July. The good news is that, after a week of showers until June 17, Ireland's weather will become more settled and drier. Met Éireann predicted that the country will enjoy fine weather from mid June. "A signal for high pressure enters the forecast, leading to a likelihood of largely settled conditions," a Met Éireann spokesperson said. "Precipitation amounts will likely be below average, with temperatures trending above average." "From June 23, the signal for high pressure remains. However as uncertainty increases the signal is not as strong as week two. Nevertheless temperatures are again expected to trend higher than average, and precipitation amounts are likely to be below average." The late month forecast is more uncertain from June 30. "Uncertainty in the forecast increases, with little in the way of any pressure pattern dominating our weather. However, there is some signal that temperature values will be above average, with little to no signal for precipitation amounts." Accuweather predicted that Ireland will see seven days of showers by June 17 with just two days of dry or overcast conditions. However, from June 18 to 30, there will be just a single day of showers in two weeks. Despite the dry, settled conditions, temperatures will remain stubbornly in the low 20s. Met Éireann warned that, before the settled conditions arrive from June 18, Ireland will have blustery, showery weather with some occasionally heavy bouts of rainfall. "There is a trend towards milder temperatures but it will remain unsettled with showery conditions," a spokesperson added. "Tuesday will see some clear spells early on before cloud builds from the southwest along with patchy outbreaks of light rain or drizzle." "Wednesday will be cloudy with showers developing through late morning and into the afternoon, some showers may turn heavy at times. It will feel milder too with highest temperatures of 18C to 21C." Next weekend is likely to prove both wet and chilly with temperatures sinking to a maximum of 18C on Saturday with most parts of Ireland seeing summer showers, some of which will prove quite heavy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store