The country saw temperature rise to the mid 20s over the summer, with the average temperatures over the last three months reaching 16.19C — 1.94C warmer than the previous warmest summer in 1995.
While it hasn’t been particularly sunny over the summer, Met Éireann [The Irish Meteorological Service] attributed dry soils from the spring and heat domes over mainland Europe, as well as clouds trapping heat, for raising the average temperatures, particularly during nighttime.
"Provisional Met Éireann data shows that summer 2025 is the warmest on record since 1900, when this temperature dataset began," Met Éireann Climatologist Paul Moore said.
"It hasn’t been particularly sunny during summer, but the dry soils from a warm and sunny spring, the heat domes over mainland Europe, periods of high-pressure dominance and the high sea surface temperatures around Ireland, have kept temperatures over the last three months consistently above average, especially at nighttime.
Summer in the city! Pints in sunny Dublin.
"It’s a close call with the previous record held by summer 1995, as summer 2025 average temperature surpasses 1995’s by only 0.08C, even taking into account the temperature drop observed on the last week of August.
"The added heat in the system and the continuous background warming due to climate change, can now transform an unexceptional season into a record breaking one. Ireland is experiencing the effects of climate change, and our climate projections show that our climate is going to become warmer.
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"2025 has already seen the warmest spring on record and now summer 2025 is another example of the warming trend, making it the first year since 1933 with consecutive Spring-Summer records."
Despite the higher temperatures, it’s pointed out that while this summer was also slightly drier, rainfall was closer to average than the driest summer ever of 1995 and 1976.
A beach holiday in Ireland!
The rainfall levels in summer 2025 were 98% of the average, making it ever so slightly drier, while the east and west coasts of the country saw above average rainfall. The south and midlands saw below average rainfall, while the highest daily rainfall total was in Dunsany, Co Meath — which saw 55.4mm of rainfall on July 21.
Met Éireann also noted that while the summer of 2025 was, on paper, warmer than 1995, conditions were far more memorable 30 years ago — with a high pressure system dominating over that summer, and peaking in August, which saw highs of 30C.
A marine heatwave developed in August of that year, with temperatures soaring to highs of 30C on a number of days, while Kilkenny saw temperatures reach an excess of 25C for a massive 27 days. Kilkenny also saw the highest temperature of that summer, with the mercury reaching 30.8C.
2025 is different in being marginally warmer, as the heat lingered and was more consistent than in 1995 — while both minimum and maximum temperatures stayed above average.
June was the 4th warmest on record, while July was the 9th warmest. As for August, it was also the 4th warmest on record.
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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