Highest minimum temperatures ever for December recorded at seven weather stations

The records had stood for durations ranging from between 11 and 60 years, while the highest temperature recorded in the month was 14.6c in Dublin on New Year’s Eve.

The highest ever temperature recorded in Ireland during December was 18.1C in Peamount in 1948.

The month's lowest air and grass minimum was recorded at Mullingar, Co Westmeath with the lowest air temperature reported on December 13, with -2.1 °C, while the lowest grass minimum was -5.8 °C reported on December 14.

Mean air temperatures across all of the country’s weather stations were above their longterm average in 2021 with Sherkin Island in Co Cork having the highest mean temperature at 9.6C.

The sunny Southeast also saw its wettest day in December ever as the highest daily rainfall total was 58.9mm at Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford, on Christmas Day – the highest figure ever measured there in 80 years of records.

While December was mild across the board, it was also a wet month with the majority of monthly rainfall totals being above their average. Johnstown Castle again saw 166pc of its usual rainfall total for December. The most rain recorded throughout the month was 188.1mm at Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry. Casement Aerodrome in Dublin had the least at 76.4mm.

The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded in December was 6.8 hours at Shannon Airport, Co Clare on December 14, as the south and east predominantly saw much of the sunshine while the north and west were typically more dull.

The highest gust recorded during the red warning-inducing Storm Barra was 135km/h at Sherkin Island – its highest ever gust on record (17 years of records).

Mean wind speeds reached violent storm force 11 on December 7 during the storm at Mace Head, Co Galway.