Ireland's longest drought since 1941 recorded at Carlow's weather station
Oak Park in Carlow recorded Ireland’s longest drought since 1941 this summer
The longest drought in Ireland since 1941 was recorded in Carlow over the summer.
In Met Éireann’s Climate Statement for Summer 2026, it was noted that for the second year in a row, Ireland has experienced what was the hottest summer since records began back in 1900.
“Summer 2026 saw high pressure dominating over most of western Europe with the jet stream, a band of high level winds which steers weather systems around the globe, displaced to the north of Ireland through most of the season. Intense high pressure systems known as heat domes extended north over Ireland on several occasions during the summer months bringing prolonged periods of hot weather,” the Statement said.
The rainfall levels across the country were below their 1991-2020 long-term average, with the longest partial drought being recorded at Carlow’s Oak Park.
There was no rainfall from Saturday, June 20th until Monday, August 24th.
This 66-day lack of rain is the longest drought since 1941.
The previous longest drought record was at Roches Point in Co. Cork, when it lasted for 62 days in 1983.
The Met Éireann website explains that an absolute drought is a period of 15 or more consecutive days which had 0.2 mm or more of precipitation.
A partial drought is a period of at least 29 consecutive days; the average daily rainfall of which does not exceed 0.2 mm.
A dry spell is a period of 15 or more consecutive days where 1mm or more of precipitation is recorded.
The percentage of monthly rainfall values ranged from 62% (64.7 mm) at Athenry, Co Galway to 135% (95.7 mm) at Phoenix Park, Co Dublin.
Monthly rainfall totals ranged from 56.3 mm at both Dunsany, Co Meath (72% of its LTA) and Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin (79% of its LTA) to 111.5 mm (84% of its LTA) at Newport, Co Mayo.
The highest daily rainfall total was 61.8 mm at Phoenix Park, Co Dublin on Thursday 27th.