It has emerged that the 22nd of August was the wettest day at Malin Head since 1955, when flash floods caused widespread devastation in the north west.
Met Eireann’s latest monthly weather summary data for August shows record rainfall on the fateful day when homes, businesses, roads and other infrastructure were destroyed by flooding.
77.2 mm of rain fell on August 22nd at Malin Head – over one third of the station’s monthly total. This was the wettest summer at the station in 19 years.
63.0mm fell in a 6-hour period on that Tuesday evening. In total, 181% of the station’s average August rainfall fell on that day alone.
Malin Head Rainfall Records August 2017 – Met Eireann
Met Eireann’s Summer Weather Summary for June, July and August 2017 shows above average rainfall for the season in Donegal – 364.8mm of rain fell this season, which is 148% of normal average rainfall.
Almost every weather station in Ireland recorded above average rainfall totals this summer. Met Eireann have said the summer was colder and wetter than normal, which was influenced by the mid Latitude Jet Stream and the remnants of Hurricane Gert in late August.
Featured photo by Donal Dunn.