Guides to Ireland's weather

Plain-English guides to how the weather works here and how to use it: the climate, the warning colours, the rain radar, when to visit, the sunniest and wettest places, sea swimming, why it changes so fast, and the storms. Written by the people who run the site, with the figures from Met Éireann's records and the data behind the county climate pages.

• Ireland's climate explained

  Why Ireland is mild, damp and changeable, and what a typical year looks like for temperature, rain, sunshine and wind. 4 min read

• What the yellow, orange and red warnings mean

  Met Éireann's three warning levels, the figures behind them for wind, rain, snow and temperature, and what to do when one is issued. 3 min read

• How to read the rain radar

  What the radar colours mean, how to tell a front from showers, how far ahead you can trust the loop, and the tricks radar plays. 4 min read

• The best months to visit Ireland

  A month-by-month look at temperature, rain, sunshine and daylight, and which time of year suits a walking trip, a beach holiday or a winter break. 3 min read

• The sunniest and wettest places in Ireland

  Where the sun shines most, where the rain falls hardest, and the driest, warmest and windiest corners of the country. 3 min read

• When is the sea warm enough to swim?

  Irish sea temperatures month by month, what each one feels like, and how to stay safe in cold water, wind and tides. 4 min read

• Why Irish weather changes so fast

  Four seasons in a day, explained: the Atlantic depressions, the fronts and the showers behind them, and how to read a forecast that says "sunny spells and scattered showers". 4 min read

• Named storms and Ireland's wind records

  How storms get their names, the records set by Storm Éowyn, the great storms of the past, and what each strength of wind does. 4 min read