FORGET about the so-called ‘sunny south-east’  – well at least for the month of September just gone by – with south-west Conamara the driest place in the country and Wexford the wettest.

The Met Éireann September weather statistics show that Mace Head near Carna in South Conamara had the lowest rainfall total for the month across Ireland – a measly 17.2mms or 0.7 of an inch.

By contrast, Johnstown Castle in County Wexford had the highest total across the country – 108mms [4.3 inches] – taking a real pounding on Sunday, September 29, when 31mms [1.2 inches] of rain was recorded in the south-east.

Overall, though, September 2024, will be noted for being a very dry month across the west and north-west of Ireland with rainfall well below the average for our ninth month.

Two locations in this region ‘topped the table’ in terms of sunshine hours – Belmullet in Mayo with the highest daily sunshine hours, 12.7 on the 5th while Malin Head on the northern tip of Donegal had the highest monthly total of sun, 152.1 hours.

Farmers have been delighted with the dry September following a very wet August which brought well over 200mms [8 inches] of rainfall to parts of the West of Ireland, threatening to herald the start of an early housing season for cattle.

Although average temperatures for the West through the month of September were marginally below the long-term average [12.9° as compared to 13.2° in Athenry], some very warm pockets led to a good recovery in grass growth.

Temperatures of 23°C and 24°C were recorded at the Athenry Met Éireann station on Friday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 7 respectively while the thermometer also went above the 20°C on the Monday/Tuesday of September 16/17.

Pictured: Costa-del-Conamara: The Mace Head Met Éireann weather station on the south-west coast of Conamara – the driest place in Ireland during September ’24.