The Irish weather can be changeable
and is often very localised. This means that you may well have a
morning of rain and an afternoon of sunshine - and that the weather
may be quite different 10 miles away.
Cool days in summer: 10 - 15° C (50 - 60° F).
Warm days in summer: 21 - 27° C (70 - 80° F)
It is a good idea to take layers of clothing with
you each day and to change whenever the temperature does. As a
general rule, always take rain gear with you and remember that the
higher you go, the cooler it gets.
Seasons - the best time to come to
Ireland
Traditionally the peak season for visiting
Ireland and Connemara and Kerry is in July and August, but don't be
put off coming to either Kerry or Connemara earlier or later in the
year, as the weather can be just as good if not better. The chances
are that over a week or so in Ireland the weather will be varied,
with some good and some not so good days, no matter what the time of
the year. Another point to remember is that while it does rain in
Ireland, it is not as bad as some people make out - it is quite
often "soft rain".
January & February.
These months feel traditionally cold and unpleasant. Due to the golf
stream, it never really freezes and snow is very, very rare. If
there is a high pressure the days can be sunny and wonderfully
clear. However the days are still very short in these months so they
aren't the best for a cycling holiday even if the weather is okay.
March and April.
The days are getting longer, and especially April counts as one
month with least precipitation (believe it or not), especially
around Easters there seems to be always a nice spell with sun-shine.
But it can potentially be still quite grim, and temperatures do
still feel quite cold. Nature however awakes with brilliant yellow
gorse bushes everywhere.
In May there can be some excellent spells
of spring sunshine. There is considerable range in the conditions in
this month, it can even be variable on a daily basis - you may
experience rain, hail and sunshine all in the same day - which can
add interest to the scenery and your cycle. There is usually a good
spell of high pressure in May, which lasts a week or so and brings
sunny & warm weather to the whole country, and guests have been
known to go away with sun-burns.
June is
traditionally together with May and September one of the best month
to visit Ireland for weather - and the month when the days are
longest - with the sun setting as late as 23.00. As the days are
long, and if there is some settled weather it can get hot inland,
but along the coast there tends to be a constant sea-breeze cooling
you down. The sun can burn too - sun cream and sunglasses are
strongly advised. (This applies from April onwards). Late May, start
of June sees the wild rhododendron in bloom, with a mass of
pink/purple flowers, an absolutely amazing sight.
July & August.
These months are with a mean temperature of 15.2° C and 14.9° C
the warmest, but are also with the wettest months. If you still want
to avoid the peak season try to come in the first two weeks in July,
before the school holidays start in the UK and on the Continent.
September. The
weather in this month is not as hot as July or August, but is
usually fine and very comfortable for cycling. The trees start to
turn to their autumn colours later in the month.
October. We don't get many cyclists at all in this month -
despite the fact that the autumn colours are usually at their best
in early October. But after the first week the weather tends to turn
cold and wet, and the days get progressively shorter (the sun sets
about 6pm). For these reasons we don't advise you to take your
bicycling vacation after the first week of this month.
November & December.
These months are characterised by short days, and usually cold and
wet weather, with frequent storms - not the best time to come to
Connemara.
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