Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1985 > Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities (4th Committee) > Report No. 21 - Crisis in Farming - Summer 1985

APPENDIX 1

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

The Weather of June, 1985.

June was cooler and, for the most part, duller and wetter than normal. The month started promisingly with warm, dry and bright weather over the June holiday weekend but thereafter cool westerly winds predominated keeping temperatures well below normal. It was the coolest June since 1977 (and since 1972 in some places). Temperatures varied from 1.3C° below normal in Leinster to 0.6C° below in West Munster. The highest temperatures recorded for the month was 25.1°C in Cahirciveen on the 3rd and the lowest 1.6°C at Casement Aerodrome on the 7th and at Mullingar on the 16th.

Rainfall was above normal over most of the country, but was below normal in many northern and western areas. Amounts ranged from 158% of normal at Cork Airport to only 67% at Galway. Cahirciveen recorded 113 mm of rain, the wettest June since 1965.

Sunshine was below normal everywhere except in parts of Ulster and North Leinster and ranged from 73% of normal in Birr to 104% in Malin Head. Most places had between 75% and 85% of normal. Durations of bright sunshine varied from 172 hours in Dublin Airport to 119 hours in Birr.

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR JUNE 1985

Meteorological Service

The Weather of July 1985

July was dull, in most areas it was wet with widespread thunderstorms on 25th and 26th.

Rainfall was above normal over most of the country, but was below normal in some southern and western areas. Percentages of normal ranged from 190% to Malin Head to 69% at Cork Airport. It was the wettest July at Malin Head since records began there in 1885 and the wettest since 1960 at Dublin Airport and Kilkenny. The thunderstorm activity of 25th and 26th was accompanied by heavy falls of rain or hail. Kilkenny recorded 50 millimetres during this period - almost half its monthly total.

Sunshine was below normal everywhere, ranging from 64% of normal in Cahirciveen to 83% at Clones and Malinhead. Durations varied from 82 hours in Claremorris to 156 hours in Rosslare. In Mullingar it was the dullest July since 1944. and in Shannon the dullest since 1947. However, for most of the country the years 1980 or 1981 had duller Julys.

Temperatures were just about normal everywhere except near the south and west coasts where they were below normal. Low daytime maxima temperatures were compensated for by above normal night time minima. The highest temperature recorded for the month was 25.6°C at Casement on 4th and the lowest was 4.6°C at Kilkenny on 7th.

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR JULY 1985

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

The Weather of August 1985

August was cool, dull and extremely wet.

Rainfall amounts were much above normal, ranging from 166% of normal at Dublin Airport to 278% of normal at Cahirciveen and Claremorris. At Malin Head and Cahirciveen it was the wettest August since their rainfall records began over 100 years ago. In parts of the east and northeast there were higher August totals during 1950’s but at most stations it was the wettest August since their records began. It rained on each day of the month at Birr, Belmullet and Claremorris and the wettest days were 4th, 14th and 23rd. Hail or thunder were reported on 3rd, 9th, 10th, 12th and 24th.

Mean air temperatures for the month were well below normal and ranged from 0.8°C below normal at Malin Head to 1.6°C below normal in the Cork area. At Roches’ Point it was the coolest August since 1912 but at some stations August 1956 or more recent Augusts were cooler.

The highest temperature recorded was 22.3°C at Clones on 18th but 20°C was seldom reached at any station. This lack of high daytime temperatures caused mean maximum temperatures to be as low as normal September values.

Sunshine was well below normal everywhere and varied between 63% of normal at Claremorris and 89% of normal at Rosslare as monthly sunshine totals ranged from 82 to 163 hours.

Strong winds and gale gusts were much more frequent than usual and it was the windiest August for some 20 years.

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR

August 1985

Summer 1985

The summer of 1985 (June, July and August) was cooler, wetter and duller than normal.

For most of the country it was the coolest summer since 1972. At Roches’ Point, however, it was the coolest summer since recording began over a hundred years ago. Temperatures varied from 1.1C° below normal at Roches Point to 0.5C° below normal at Galway.

Day-time maximum temperatures were well below normal.

Rainfall amounts were well above normal. At Malinhead it was the wettest summer for over 100 years and at many of the shorter term stations in the west it was the wettest summer since records began. Elsewhere it was the wettest summer for at least 25 years. Amounts ranged from 177% of normal at Birr to 140% at Rosslare. In Clones more than 0.2mm of rain fell on 76 of the 92 days and generally there was between 125% and 150% of the average number of rain days.

While Summer 1985 was not as dull as the summer of 1980 sunshine was well below normal ranging from 69% of normal at Birr to 89% at Clones. The greatest number of hours recorded was 479 hours at Rosslare and the least was 292 hours at Claremorris. The days of the June holiday weekend were the sunniest of the summer.

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUMMER 1985

* = Days with 0.2 mm or more

* = Days with 0.2 mm or more

* = Days with 0.2 mm or more

* = Days with 0.2 mm or more