Irish weather is synonymous with rainfall, which for the most part, runs right through the four seasons.
We've all had the burden of having to take out an umbrella, even in the middle of the summer. But which counties in Ireland are the worst affected by rainfall so far this year?
Analysing Met Eireann rainfall data, the team at O'Flynn Medical, Cork, have compiled a list of the wettest locations across the nation this year so far.
READ MORE: Met Eireann's five-day forecast amid major uncertainty as storm tracks towards one region in Ireland
The Wettest Parts of the Country
1. Newport Furnace, Co. Mayo - 405.5 mm of rainfall
2. Valentia Observatory, Co. Kerry - 404mm
3. Sherkin Island, Co. Cork - 302.2mm
4. Knock Airport, Co. Mayo - 274.9mm
5. Belmullet, Co. Mayo - 269.6mm
The West of Ireland in particular has taken quite the beating when it comes to rainfall this year, especially Mayo who occupy three out of the top five wettest positions in 2023.
Ireland's Wettest County in 2023
1. Kerry - 404mm of rainfall
2. Cork - 307.95mm (based on avg. of 4 stations in Cork)
3. Mayo - 297.15mm (based on avg. of 4 stations in Mayo)
4. Galway - 249.85mm (based on avg. of 2 stations in Galway)
5. Sligo - 231.1mm
County Kerry takes the podium as the wettest county in Ireland, with rainfall figures mostly up across the board.
Examining the top 5 wettest parts of the country we can see significant increases in the amount of rainfall when compared to the same time period last year.
In terms of observatories, Sherkin Island, Cork has seen a 39.84% increase in rainfall when compared to 2022 figures.
Valentia Observatory, Kerry (31.78%) increase, Belmullet, Mayo (2.97%) increase, Newport Furnace, Mayo has actually seen a 5.16% decrease compared to 2022, while Knock Airport, Mayo, has also seen a decrease of 15.47%.
The Driest Parts of the Country
1. Oak Park, Co Carlow - 19.6mm
2. Phoenix Park, Dublin - 20.3mm
3. Dublin Airport, Dublin - 137mm
4. Casement Aerodrome, Dublin - 137.4mm
5. Dunsany (Grange), Meath - 156.2mm
Unsurprisingly, the east takes the ticket on having some of the driest parts of the country, with Dublin and Carlow dominating the charts. Below is data which shows the driest county in the country so far this year.
Ireland's Driest County in 2023
1. Co Carlow - 19.6mm
2. Co. Dublin - 98.23mm (based on avg. of 3 stations in Dublin)
3. Co. Meath - 156.2mm
4. Co. Tipperary - 162.7mm
5. Co. Clare - 184.4mm
Temperatures are beginning to rise as we head into Spring, however this damp weather combined with warmer temperatures can cause health issues at home.
"When we're experiencing rather temperamental weather like we are now there can be some health risks people may not even be aware of, mainly damp and mold growth within the home which can cause respiratory issues," notes Conor O'Flynn of O'Flynn Medical
He stressed that condensation is the main issue in Ireland when it comes to this, which due to the weather, this problem is only exacerbated when you're trying to keep costs down by drying clothes indoors.
"Your heating goes off, the building cools down and all of the water that has evaporated when the space was warm now has to go somewhere, so when the house cools the water begins condense in patches throughout the space, leading to mold," he added.
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