Last month was the 12th warmest April since 1900, according to Met Éireann, with temperatures peaking at 21.3 degrees in Co Mayo.
Although last month was mild and “quite sunny overall”, the majority of the month was dominated by Atlantic low pressure, bringing wind and rain, including Storm Dave early on.
Despite this, temperatures were above average across the country, though warmest in the west, after high pressure began to dominate the country from April 18th, bringing drier and sunnier conditions.
All weather stations recorded temperatures above average last month, according to Met Éireann’s climate statement for April 2026, published on Tuesday.
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The national mean April temperature was 9.69 degrees, which was 1.59 degrees above the long-term average from 1961 to 1990 and 0.81 degrees above the most recent long-term average spanning 1991 to 2020.
The highest temperature recorded last month was 21.3 degrees at Claremorris, Co Mayo, on April 24th, while the month’s lowest air minimum (-1.8 degrees) was recorded at Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon, on April 13th.
The warmer-than-average conditions came despite much of April seeing a series of “unseasonably deep” low-pressure systems, which brought spells of wet and windy weather during the first two-thirds of the month.
Overall, the bulk of April’s rain fell over the west, with the east of the country, though windy at times, seeing much less rainfall.
Strong gales were reported at three stations during Storm Dave on April 4th, while mean wind speeds reached storm force at Roches Point, Co Cork, the forecaster said.
The month’s highest gust (111km/h) was reported during the storm at both Roches Point and Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry.
Overall, last month was wetter than normal, becoming the 21st wettest April since 1941, according to the forecaster. Rain for the month was 113 per cent of the most recent long-term average.
Monthly rainfall totals ranged from 20.2mm at Casement Aerodrome in Dublin, its driest April since 2021, to 151.1mm at Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry, its wettest April since 2018.
The number of rain days, a day on which 0.2mm of rainfall or more is measured, ranged from 13 at several stations to 21 days at Belmullet.
On the other hand, two weather stations in the east, Phoenix Park and Casement Aerodrome in Dublin, had dry spells lasting 15 days from April 16th.
Despite the rain, sunshine was also above average last month, but sunniest in the southeast.
Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford, saw the highest monthly sunshine totals at 209.1 hours, while Valentia Observatory recorded the least at 138.6 hours.
Malin Head, Co Donegal, recorded the highest number of daily sunshine hours at 14.2 hours on April 29th.
