July has already seen 20mm more rainfall than the average for this time of year, according to Met Éireann.

It comes as the forecaster releases a new report showing that the Irish climate has become warmer and wetter over the last 30 years.

An analysis of climate averages from 1991 to 2020 shows that the country’s average yearly temperature has increased by 0.7C compared to the previous 30-year timeframe.

The country has also seen a 7% increase in rainfall over the last 30 years, although there are regional variations, with the west and north of the country seeing the greatest increases in rainfall.

Climate change in Ireland. Image: Met Éireann

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Met Éireann forecaster Barry Coonan said Ireland has extremely variable weather from year to year – but 30 years is the international benchmark for measuring changes in climate.

He said the current wet weather highlights the variability of Ireland’s weather – but the report examines changes to the country’s climate.

“We’re in the middle of July now and it is 20mm above the average that we might expect,” he said. “It is 20mm above already and there are still two weeks to go in July.”

“So, we know it is very wet and that is a reflection of the variability of the weather but behind that variability, there is a slow trend and you can only see that if you look at it in blocks of maybe 30 years.”

Sunshine After Rain, County Donegal

Mr Coonan said it is difficult to prove that the extreme temperatures seen across Southern Europe are climate change related – but we can ‘absolutely’ say that the increasing frequency of extreme weather events is down to climate change.

“It is really the pattern we’re looking at,” he said.

“Right at the moment, we can see across the Northern Hemisphere – we can see it in Europe, North America and even in China now, they have got very high temperatures.

“It is difficult to attribute a particular event to climate change, but climate change will tell us that the probability of something like this happening increases.”

He said Ireland’s climate is likely to warm at a slower rate than the global average – but the changes we have already seen will have impacts across many years on many aspects of daily life.