Annual 2018 – Temperature and Sunshine above average in most places. Storm Emma brought widespread snow.
The year began unsettled with a mainly westerly airflow for January with Storm Eleanor bringing strong winds on the 2nd. A cold and dry February finished with a polar continental air mass. This brought snow showers with significant accumulations in the East and South. Storm Emma at the beginning of March gave widespread snow in a cold and changeable month. The unsettled theme continued during April with temperatures near normal. May started changeable but overall it was a warm dry and sunny month with high pressure dominating. The settled conditions continued for most of June and July apart from Storm Hector in the middle of June, which brought wet and windy weather briefly. Heatwave and drought conditions in many places towards the end of June continued into early July in several places lasting longest in the South and East. Changeable weather returned towards the end of July and continued in the North and West for much of August. The South and East stayed predominantly warm and dry. September and October were cool and dry, however in September Storm Ali brought the strongest winds of the year on the 19th followed by Storm Bronagh, and Storm Callum on the 12th October. It was mild and unsettled for most of November with Storm Diana on the 28th. Atlantic westerlies dominated in December with Storm Deirdre on the 15th.
December 2018 – Mild and unsettled
The first week of December was mild and unsettled with low-pressure systems and associated weather fronts traversing the country frequently in a mainly westerly airflow. This gave rain or showers every day with windy conditions at times, especially on the 7th and 8th. The second week continued with the generally unsettled theme, although less active on the 9th and 10th, as a transient area of high pressure moved over the country. High pressure established itself over Scandinavia on the 12th and the airflow over Ireland backed to south or southeast up to the 15th. The bulk of the rain during this period fell in the South. On the 15th, Storm Deirdre deepened rapidly as it moved across the country giving widespread heavy rain and very strong winds. The remainder of the third week was Atlantic dominated again in a south or south-westerly air flow with rain or showers on most days. It settled down towards Christmas as high pressure built from the south over the country giving a mostly dry Christmas and final week of the month and year.
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