Spring 2023 was the third warmest on record
Spring 2023 was the third warmest on record and the tenth consecutive spring with above normal temperatures.
A wet March was followed by an average April and a dry May with droughts in the East to finish.
That's according to Met Éireann's Spring Climate Statement.
"Spring 2023 began with a very wet month and finished very dry. March was wet and dull overall after a dry and cool beginning.
"Low pressure to the southwest of Ireland dominated after the first week. Storm Larisa, named by Météo-France, brought heavy rain and snow at the beginning of the second week.
"The rest of the month was milder with numerous bands of frontal rain or showers crossing the country in a relatively mild cyclonic airflow.
April was mild overall. The month fluctuated between Scandinavian high pressure dominance, bringing some dry periods and Atlantic low pressure dominance, bringing some wet periods.
"A deep depression, named storm Noa by Météo-France, gave widespread wet and windy weather towards mid-month. A period of easterly winds followed with high pressure to the north. The month finished showery with some heavy and thundery downpours.
"May was warm and calm overall with high pressure dominating for most of the month, especially the second half. Winds were predominantly westerly to north-westerly, but became easterly towards the end of the month as high pressure moved to the north of Ireland.
"The month began mostly dry under high pressure, although weak weather fronts kept it cloudy at times. Towards the middle of the first week, Atlantic low pressure systems encroached from the west. This brought widespread frontal rain across the country on the 4th and 7th interspersed with a few days of scattered, sometimes thundery, showers.
"An unstable air mass brought some active thunderstorm activity to the east on the 8th. Between the 9th and 11th a slack area of low pressure moved from west to east to the north of the country, bringing further scattered bands of rain or showers, sometimes thundery.
"Towards the end of the second week, pressure rose from the south as the Azores High pushed up over the country and dominated for the rest of the month. Some weak weather fronts pushed through the high pressure at times giving some scattered outbreaks of rain, particularly on the 14th and 20th, but amounts stayed low, especially in the South and East.
"High pressure intensified over Ireland during the final week of the month, centred just to the north by the end of the month. This brought very dry conditions along with increasing amounts of sunshine."
To read more, see: https://www.met.ie/climate-statement-for-may-2023
Recent Mays in Ireland:
2016: The majority Long-Term Average (LTA) rainfall values were below. All stations had on, or above LTA mean air temperatures and monthly sunshine totals.
2017: The majority of rainfall totals were below their LTA, all mean air temperatures and most sunshine totals were above. No significantly strong winds were reported.
2018: Nearly all rainfall totals were below. All monthly mean temperatures and sunshine totals were above average, and the winds were strongest in the West.
2019: Nearly all rainfall totals were below while mean air temperatures and sunshine totals varied. No significantly strong winds were reported.
2020: All rainfall totals were below average. Mean air temperatures and sunshine totals across the country were above. Post-tropical storm Arthur brought Gales and strong gales.
2021: All rainfall totals were above average. All mean air temperatures were below, while all sunshine totals were above. Strong gales were reported on a number of days.
2022: Rainfall totals varied while all air temperatures were above their LTA. All sunshine totals were below and no significantly strong winds were reported.