What's Irish Weather Like?

Ireland's climate can be unpredictable. We often see four seasons in one hour, let alone one day!

We highly recommend packing a high quality waterproof jacket and wearing light layers of clothing. This will allow you to adapt to our charmingly ever-changing weather.

Beautiful, dazzling sunshine at one moment.

Then, before you know it, a rain shower arrives on a breeze.

Within 10 minutes, it's completely calm and dry again.

How Much Does It Rain In Ireland?

While we don't often see prolonged heavy rain in Ireland, rainshowers are common.

To complicate everything, rain showers are are often mixed with periods of warm sunshine.

And to make it even more confusing, Irish rainfall levels don't differ greatly between seasons. You are likely to get a wet week in summer almost as much as during spring or autumn.

Our rain comes in a dazzling range of varieties. Like the Inuit with snow, Irish people use lots of phrases to describe types of rainfall:

• 🌧️ Lashing
• ⛈️ Pelting
• 🤿 Wet rain
• 🌦️ Dry rain
• 👼 Soft rain
• ☔ Drizzle
• 😶‍🌫️ Mizzle
• ↔️ Sideways rain
• ↕️ Upside-down rain
• 😾 Raining cats and dogs

But don't let this great diversity of precipitation put you off...

The best approach is to prepare for the unexpected. A good quality, waterproof — but ideally lightweight — rain jacket is essential.

Average Temperatures in Ireland

It's a common misconception that Ireland has a cold climate. Heavy snowfall is rare in Ireland, except on higher ground.

Not too hot nor too cold; average temperatures in Ireland range between 10-21ºC (between 50-70 Fahrenheit) during the day.

Things get cooler in the evening: average temperatures can range anywhere between 4-15ºC (approximately 40-60 F).

Find out more about weather and the best time to visit Ireland on our blog