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
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|
| 2023 | 183.2 | 91.6 | 188.4 | 5.4 | | | | | | | | | 468.6 |
| 2022 | 98.8 | 260.4 | 67.8 | 84.0 | 107.0 | 148.0 | 59.2 | 104.1 | 97.3 | 233.9 | 187.5 | 154.6 | 1602.6 |
| 2021 | 225.6 | 147.6 | 141.1 | 45.6 | 113.5 | 64.1 | 59.7 | 155.6 | 137.0 | 265.7 | 183.3 | 186.6 | 1725.4 |
| 2020 | 139.5 | 342.8 | 178.2 | 25.5 | 54.7 | 164.5 | 187.9 | 137.9 | 153.4 | 228.0 | 206.6 | 232.7 | 2051.7 |
| LTA | 166.7 | 126.5 | 141.2 | 96.8 | 94.7 | 89.7 | 100.9 | 132.5 | 131.5 | 176.0 | 170.4 | 180.2 | 1607.1 |
Mean temperature in degrees Celsius for NEWPORT
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|
| 2023 | 6.6 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 8.4 | | | | | | | | | 7.4 |
| 2022 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 8.0 | 9.9 | 12.6 | 13.8 | 15.9 | 16.2 | n/a | 12.2 | 9.4 | 5.2 | 10.7 |
| 2021 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 7.9 | 9.0 | 10.4 | 13.3 | 17.5 | 16.4 | 15.2 | 11.9 | 9.3 | 7.6 | 10.9 |
| 2020 | 7.2 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 11.0 | 12.8 | 13.8 | 14.4 | 16.0 | 13.8 | 10.5 | 9.1 | 6.1 | 10.6 |
| LTA | 6.1 | 6.1 | 7.3 | 9.0 | 11.5 | 13.8 | 15.4 | 15.4 | 13.5 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 6.5 | 10.3 |
Mean 10cm soil temperature for NEWPORT at 0900 UTC
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|
| 2023 | 5.2 | 6.8 | 6.6 | n/a | | | | | | | | | 6.2 |
| 2022 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 9.3 | 13.2 | 14.8 | 16.8 | 16.6 | n/a | 11.5 | 8.4 | 4.4 | 10.4 |
| 2021 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 6.8 | 8.2 | 10.9 | 14.3 | 17.9 | 16.3 | 15.2 | 11.3 | 8.6 | 6.6 | 10.4 |
| 2020 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 9.7 | 13.0 | 14.8 | 14.9 | 16.3 | 13.7 | 9.5 | 8.0 | 5.1 | 10.1 |
| LTA | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Global Solar Radiation in Joules/cm2 for NEWPORT
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|
| 2023 | 6245 | 10639 | 21429 | 2786 | | | | | | | | | 41099 |
| 2022 | 6311 | 10756 | 33399 | 40555 | 51569 | 47246 | 48439 | 51169 | n/a | 15988 | 7869 | 6167 | 319468 |
| 2021 | 6620 | 13347 | 20370 | 45694 | 55690 | 45488 | 49455 | 40490 | 22413 | 16358 | 7235 | 3780 | 326940 |
| 2020 | 6263 | 10808 | 24545 | 46192 | 58476 | 43537 | 40215 | 40555 | 25558 | 18487 | 6319 | 5209 | 326164 |
| LTA | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Potential Evapotranspiration (mm) for NEWPORT
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|
| 2023 | 14.3 | 20.9 | 33.0 | 4.4 | | | | | | | | | 72.6 |
| 2022 | 13.7 | 23.0 | 47.2 | 60.6 | 77.7 | 76.0 | 80.4 | 82.0 | n/a | 27.2 | 17.2 | 9.2 | 514.2 |
| 2021 | 7.6 | 22.9 | 30.7 | 62.9 | 76.3 | 70.7 | 87.8 | 67.5 | 38.3 | 25.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 518.5 |
| 2020 | 17.6 | 21.9 | 35.0 | 70.2 | 91.6 | 72.9 | 66.2 | 66.4 | 42.7 | 28.1 | 13.6 | 10.4 | 536.6 |
| LTA | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Evaporation (mm) for NEWPORT
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|
| 2023 | 18.8 | 28.2 | 47.6 | 6.3 | | | | | | | | | 100.9 |
| 2022 | 17.9 | 32.4 | 66.5 | 86.8 | 114.5 | 109.2 | 111.1 | 113.2 | n/a | 37.0 | 22.0 | 11.4 | 722.0 |
| 2021 | 10.9 | 32.1 | 45.4 | 89.9 | 111.2 | 102.0 | 117.2 | 93.5 | 52.1 | 34.7 | 18.6 | 19.1 | 726.7 |
| 2020 | 22.4 | 31.9 | 51.8 | 98.9 | 130.8 | 104.8 | 94.3 | 92.7 | 59.1 | 38.8 | 18.1 | 13.6 | 757.2 |
| LTA | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Degree Days Below 15.5 Degree Celsius for NEWPORT
|
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|
| 2023 | 275 | 210 | 246 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2022 | 256 | 234 | 235 | 171 | 97 | 63 | 30 | 28 | N/A | 103 | 185 | 320 | N/A |
| 2021 | 325 | 247 | 236 | 200 | 167 | 79 | 20 | 23 | 40 | 114 | 187 | 245 | 1883 |
| 2020 | 257 | 276 | 275 | 143 | 111 | 73 | 55 | 31 | 71 | 156 | 193 | 291 | 1935 |
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.
