Climate & dress of ireland

CLIMATE OF IRELAND, WITH MAPS

IRELAND ENJOYS A TEMPERATE MARITIME CLIMATE, DUE MAINLY TO ITS PROXIMITY TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE PRESENCE OF THE GULF STREAM. KNOWN AS THE EMERALD ISLE, IRELANDIS SO GREEN BECAUSE IT RECEIVES A LOT OF PRECIPITATION.
TYPICAL WINTER WEATHER IN IRELAND IS CLOUDS AND RAIN WITH THE OCCASIONAL SUNNY SPELL. THE MOUNTAINS MAY HAVE SNOW ON THEM FOR MANY WEEKS INWINTER, BUT FALLS ON THE LOWER GROUND ON ONLY A FEW DAYS A YEAR, AND IS GENERALLY NOT A FEATURE OF THE IRISH CLIMATE. TEMPERATURES HOVER AROUND A JANUARY AVERAGE OF 5ºC. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES OFTENDROP BELOW FREEZING POINT, AND ICE AND FROSTS ARE COMMON. EACH WINTER THERE ARE A FEW WEEKS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DOES NOT RISE ABOVE FREEZING POINT ALL DAY, AND RIVERS AND LAKES CAN PARTIALLY FREEZEOVER.
TYPICALLY, SUMMERS IN IRELAND HAVE WARM, SUNNY WEATHER AND A SKY DOTTED WITH GENTLE FLUFFY CLOUDS. LIGHT RAIN OCCASIONALLY OCCURS ON DAYS LIKE THESE, BUT SUMMER RAIN IS USUALLY RESTRICTED TO A FEWWET DAYS. IN JULY AND AUGUST, THE CONDITIONS CAN BCOME VERY HUMID AND THUNDER STORMS CAN OCCUR WITH LIGHTNING. THE AVERAGE JULY TEMPERATURE IS AROUND 15ºC, ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES IN EXCESS OF 30ºC ARENOT UNHEARD OF.
AREAS CLOSE TO THE COAST RARELY HAVE A LARGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUMMER AND WINTER CONDITIONS, AND IRELAND IS NO EXCEPTION. WITH AN AVERAGE 10ºC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JANUARY AND JULY,THE WEATHER IS MUCH MORE CONSISTENT THAN CONTINENTAL AREAS OF THE WORLD. THIS CONSISTENCY IS DUE TO THE MODERATING EFFECT OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, WHICH ABSORBS HEAT IN SUMMER AND GIVES IT OUT IN WINTER.ACROSS IRELAND, THE LOCAL CLIMATE DIFFERS FROM PLACE TO PLACE. THE WETTEST WEATHER ALWAYS OCCURS IN MOUNTAINS AND THOSE AREAS TO THE EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS - THE DIRECTION OF THE PREVAILING WIND. THECLASSIC EXAMPLES ARE KERRY, GALWAY AND DONEGAL. THE DRYEST WEATHER OCCURS EAST OF AREAS WHERE THERE ARE FEW MOUNTAINS, SUCH AS THE EAST COAST. COUNTIES DUBLIN AND KILDARE ENJOY THE DRIEST WEATHER....