APART from the notable exception of Storm Éowyn on January 23/24 last, our very pleasant start to 2025 continued through April with extended sunny spells and higher than average temperatures.

Our first third of 2025, January through to April, has been notably drier than the corresponding period in 2024 – approximately 8 inches less rainfall in many parts of the West of Ireland over the four months.

A spike in temperatures in the latter days of April – and now continuing into May – has also boosted soil temperatures with a considerable spurt of growth over recent weeks.

Athenry recorded the highest ever April temperature for Ireland when the mercury hit 25.9° Celsius at the Met Éireann station on Wednesday the 30th, although over the course of the month in the Galway town, the average figure for the month was only just over the long term average [LTA]: 11.1°C as compared to 11°C.

The Athenry station had 75.6mms [3 inches] of rainfall through the 30 days of our fourth month with most of this falling in our only wet period – April 18 to the 24th. That April figure was slightly more than the LTA of 72.8mms.

However, the ‘good times’ returned for the final four days of the month with high-pressure to the east, combining with a horizontal wave of warmer continental air [advection] moving up from the south, to herald the start of our current warm and settled period of weather.

Mace Head in Carna, south-west Conamara, had its warmest April on record with an average temperature of 12°C as compared to its LTA of 11.6°C. However, Thursday, April 17, brought a touch of frost to many places including Mount Dillon, Roscommon; Markree, Sligo, and Claremorris in Mayo, according to the Met Éireann monthly weather report.

Abbeyknockmoy weather recorder, Brendan Geraghty, had a rainfall total for April of 2.91 inches [74mms], considerably drier than our fourth month in 2023 and 2024, which came close to four inches [nearly 100mms].

“Over the first four months of the year, compared to the same period last year, my rainfall total of 10.29 inches [261mms] is almost 8 inches under the 2024 total of 18.27 inches [464.5mms].

“While no one will ever forget the big storm in late January, apart from that, we’ve enjoyed a very good start to the year – a lot drier than average, and now with a nice lift in temperatures.

“In hindsight, our little wet spell in April – most notably on the 18th, 22nd and 24th – which brought us just over 2 inches of rainfall – was quite important in terms of early summer grass growth. For those with turf, the bog too is in great shape,” Brendan Geraghty told the Farming Tribune.

The Met Éireann long-term weather chart is predicting that the high-pressure will last at least until Friday, May 23, and possibly longer, with negligible rainfall in the meantime.

A concern for farmers though will be the growing soil moisture deficits – currently standing between 26 to 38 mms – and predicted to reach over 50mms [Met Éireann] in the coming week with a notable deterioration in grass growth conditions.

Pictured: Brendan Geraghty: 8 inches less rainfall so far this year compared to 2024.