Mountain Weather    

Ireland is situated at one of the most north westerly points of Western Europe. The large expanse of the Atlantic ocean together with the Gulf Stream, have a major impact on the weather here. The climate is described as a temperate one, characterised by westerly winds, prolonged rainfall and bright intervals. It is difficult to predict the weather here, which makes planning a walking trip difficult.

Summer months can be dry, particularly in May and June. Sometimes a prolonged anticyclone exists over the area, giving steady warm weather, like the summer of 1995, for example. However, prolonged periods of rainfall occur quite often during summer months. Winter is very wet here. The Maam valley has approximately 230 days of rainfall per year. Snow and Frost are rare, but typically, one can expect a week of such weather during January and February.

Despite the uncertain weather, walking in the mountains of Ireland is a great pleasure.

Links to Weather Information on the Web

©1997-2001 Eoin Delaney