When Met Eireann publishes its findings on April 2 show that March will likely be the coldest or at least one of the coldest months on record.

A high pressure area had been sending cold easterly winds across the country since February 18. According to preliminary figures, temperatures were lower than normal everywhere. Every weather station reported warmer weather in January.

Average temperatures in Dublin Airport were nearly four degrees lower than normal for March. Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, and Mullingar, Co. Meath both reported temperatures about 3 degrees colder than normal.

Easter Sunday
was also particularly cold with minus 1.7 degrees at Knock Airport and minus 2.1 degrees in Ballyhaise in Co. Cavan.

Met Eireann usually publishes its findings on the first of the month, but will publish the findings for March on April 2 because of the Bank Holiday.

The cold weather is expected to last for the rest of the week with temperatures about 4 or 5 degrees, but an Atlantic front is expected to come in by the weekend. This front will bring south-westerly winds and average temperatures between 9 and 11 degrees.

Northern Europe has experienced an exceptionally colder March. The UK Met Office confirmed that the past month was the coldest since the winter of 1962 which lasted until the end of March.

Berlin has been covered in snow since March 10 and the average temperature was 0.5 degrees for the month. In the rest of Germany temperatures were 4.1 degrees lower than normal.