Tuesday, 4 April 2023

The wettest March on record


According to Met Éireann, March 2023 was provisionally the wettest March on record in Ireland (record length 83 years). This follows the 4th driest February on record last month. The previous wettest March was in 2019. More information appears in the March Climate Statement.


March was unusually wet and dull. Out of 25 synoptic stations, 6 stations had over 200% of their average March rainfall, and 11 had over 150%. After a cool start, most stations had above average temperatures. And despite a forecast for a benign week, it continues to rain daily. 

The climate of Ireland is changing. Consequently, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage funded a project to update ‘Climate maps and data to support building design standards in Ireland’. Extreme rainfall events are responsible for major socio-economic impacts. Short-duration and intense localised rainfall events can cause severe flooding. Estimating the return levels of rainfall thresholds for specific periods can inform the design criteria for drainage schemes, sewerage systems, bridges, gutters, and fluvial flood mitigation measures. 

But what will it mean for our vineyards?

Monthly values for NEWPORT up to 03-apr-2023

Total rainfall in millimetres for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
2023183.291.6188.45.4468.6
202298.8260.467.884.0107.0148.059.2104.197.3233.9187.5154.61602.6
2021225.6147.6141.145.6113.564.159.7155.6137.0265.7183.3186.61725.4
2020139.5342.8178.225.554.7164.5187.9137.9153.4228.0206.6232.72051.7
LTA166.7126.5141.296.894.789.7100.9132.5131.5176.0170.4180.21607.1

Mean temperature in degrees Celsius for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
20236.68.07.68.47.4
20227.27.18.09.912.613.815.916.2n/a12.29.45.210.7
20215.06.77.99.010.413.317.516.415.211.99.37.610.9
20207.26.06.611.012.813.814.416.013.810.59.16.110.6
LTA6.16.17.39.011.513.815.415.413.510.88.36.510.3

Mean 10cm soil temperature for NEWPORT at 0900 UTC

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
20235.26.86.6n/a6.2
20226.26.26.39.313.214.816.816.6n/a11.58.44.410.4
20213.65.06.88.210.914.317.916.315.211.38.66.610.4
20205.74.75.49.713.014.814.916.313.79.58.05.110.1
LTAn/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a

Global Solar Radiation in Joules/cm2 for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
202362451063921429278641099
2022631110756333994055551569472464843951169n/a1598878696167319468
2021662013347203704569455690454884945540490224131635872353780326940
2020626310808245454619258476435374021540555255581848763195209326164
LTAn/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a

Potential Evapotranspiration (mm) for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
202314.320.933.04.472.6
202213.723.047.260.677.776.080.482.0n/a27.217.29.2514.2
20217.622.930.762.976.370.787.867.538.325.114.114.6518.5
202017.621.935.070.291.672.966.266.442.728.113.610.4536.6
LTAn/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a

Evaporation (mm) for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
202318.828.247.66.3100.9
202217.932.466.586.8114.5109.2111.1113.2n/a37.022.011.4722.0
202110.932.145.489.9111.2102.0117.293.552.134.718.619.1726.7
202022.431.951.898.9130.8104.894.392.759.138.818.113.6757.2
LTAn/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a

Degree Days Below 15.5 Degree Celsius for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2023275210246N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
202225623423517197633028N/A103185320N/A
2021325247236200167792023401141872451883
2020257276275143111735531711561932911935

Notes on the Data

Evaporation and PE data are calculated using Penman/Monteith formulae.
The ‘LTA’ (referred to within a table) is average for the climatological long-term-average (LTA) reference period 1981-2010.
Data updated daily at Mid-day.

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