Met Éireann has reported that 2025 was the second warmest year on record in Ireland since 1900.
In its Annual Climate Statement for 2025, the national forecaster stated that the mean annual air temperature across Ireland in 2025 reached 11.14C, compared to 11.21C in 2023, reports RTE.
The long-term average (LTA) air temperature for the period 1961–1990 was 9.55C, while the LTA for 1991–2020 stood at 10.17C.
Met Éireann noted that the four most recent years, 2022 to 2025, have been the warmest on record, with seven of the ten highest temperature years occurring since 2005, reports RTE.
The forecaster described a cold beginning to the year before Storm Éowyn delivered the strongest winds ever recorded in Ireland.
The peak gust reached 99.5 knots (184 km/h), while the highest ten-minute mean wind speed was 76.5 knots (142 km/h), both measured at Mace Head in Galway on 24 January, reports RTE.
The winter period ended on a warm note overall, followed by the warmest and sunniest spring ever recorded, according to Met Éireann.
A total of 23 out of 25 monitoring stations registered their highest-ever spring temperatures, reports RTE.
April 2025 ranked as the third warmest April on record nationally, with 17 stations logging their highest daily maximum temperature for the month at 25.9C.
The forecaster highlighted that a marine heatwave emerged off the west coast during April and May, with sea surface temperatures exceeding the average by more than 2C in certain coastal zones, reports RTE.
Met Éireann also documented an exceptionally warm summer, during which five stations achieved their all-time warmest summer and another five recorded their hottest summer in three decades.
September proved cooler than average, breaking the sequence of warmer-than-normal months that had run from February through August, reports RTE.
Regarding climate change, Met Éireann confirmed that Ireland’s warming trend continues to align with the worldwide pattern of rising temperatures.
The forecaster observed that, although the year remained relatively dry until August, the final four months were extremely wet and featured several intense rainfall episodes, reports RTE.
Autumn 2025 was the fourth wettest on record, while provisional data indicates that the full year ranked as the 15th wettest since 1941.
“We experienced five named storms in 2025, as well as a number of impactful rain events,” said climatologist Paul Moore.
“The continued warming brings with it the increasing risk of severe weather events.”, reports RTE.
With updated climate projections forecasting additional future warming, Met Éireann emphasised that “temperature change means the likelihood of extreme weather events occurring has increased”.
It added that rainfall patterns are projected to shift, featuring more frequent dry spells alongside heavier downpours, reports RTE.
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