23-07-2025
This Cork town became the wettest place in Ireland 20 years ago today according to Met Éireann
But it's being remembered in all its sodden glory this week as the forecaster marks 20 years since 112.9mm of rain fell in Macroom – on July 23, 2005.
It was a deluge that has crowned the town as the wettest place in the month of July across Ireland since records began in 1942.
Historically rainfall was measured by gauges which collect rain using a funnel with an upper diameter of 127mm and 305mm above ground.
In July 1955, Glanmire near Cork city had the lowest monthly precipitation ever recorded with a measly 0.7mm.
The highest monthly precipitation in December was recorded in Gernapeka in Cork, with 943.5mm.
The highest sustained wind speed within a 10-minute mean recorded in August, October and December was also recorded in Cork.
111km/h was recorded on July 19, in August 2020 during Storm Ellen at Cork's Roches Point, which is the highest record since 1942.
The highest gust of wind (3 seconds) was also recorded in the same place during Storm Ellen, with 143km/h.
115km/h was recorded in Cork on October 16, 2017 during Storm Ophelia and 126km/h was logged on Christmas Eve in 1997.
Cork has also dealt with the some of the highest and lowest mean sea level pressure (hPa) readings over the years.
Cork had the highest hPa twice which are: 1,042.4hPa at Cork Airport on May 12, 2012, and 1,043.8 hPa on Sherkin Island on October 22 in 2018.
The lowest hPa for Ireland from Cork include: 942.3 hPa in Midleton on February 4, 1951 and 942.8 hPa at Cork Airport on December 17 in 1989.
Three of the highest monthly total sunshine recordings since 1942 were also witnessed in Cork.
118.4 hours at Cork Airport in 2010, 247.7 hours at Sherkin Island also in 2010 and 116.1 hours at Cork Airport in 2016 are the highest statistics for those months.
On the flip side, Fermoy in February 1985 recorded just 18.6 hours of sunshine while Sherkin Island recorded a low of 2.8 hours in December 2015.
The statistics are from The Weather Extreme Records for Ireland, which are available to view on
