WITH storms battering the coast this week, the weather has been a far cry from last month.
Shannon recorded the highest temperature in Ireland in the month just past, that day was also the warmest November day there for 43 years.
A temperature of 17.7 degrees celsius was recorded in Shannon on November 14, the warmest temperature in the town in the month of November since 1978.
There was also 25% more sunshine in Shannon over the course of the month than in an average November.
Met Éireann statistics show that the amount of rainfall in Shannon during the month was 43% below what would be expected in an average November.
In its summary of the month Met Éireann said the first two thirds of the month were mild with the high pressure mostly centred to the south of Ireland.
The final third of the month saw high pressure shift to the west of Ireland, allowing cooler air masses from the north to dominate.
The report stated, “The beginning of the first week saw low-pressure pulling away to the north, leaving a northerly airflow.
“High pressure soon moved in from the west, establishing itself to the south of Ireland by the end of the first week, bringing a milder westerly airflow.
“The second and third weeks continued with low-pressure to the north and high pressure to the south maintaining a mostly mild westerly airflow.
“Some weak weather fronts traversed the country from time to time bringing bands of rain or showers from the west, interspersed with long dry periods.
“Rainfall amounts stayed relatively low, especially in the Midlands and East.
“For the final third of the month, a shift in the position of the high pressure to the west of Ireland, allowed a mostly north or north-westerly airflow to take hold.
“This brought cool air masses from the north but it stayed relatively dry overall. A depression of 976 hPa, named storm Arwen by the Met Office (UK), brought the strongest winds of the month on the 26th and 27th, as it moved south south-eastward along the east coast of the UK.
The month finished milder with rain moving in from the West.”
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.