What About the Weather
South Africans have a specific view of the weather in Ireland. It is assumed that it always rains, is cloudy most of the time and that the sun hardly ever shines, and that it is cold no matter whether it is summer or winter.
It does not get as warm here as it does in South Africa in summer. It also doesn’t get much colder here than a South African winter, depending on which part of South Africa you are from.
If you are from Limpopo or used to the Durban summers and winters, you may be disappointed depending on what you expect. No matter which part of South Africa you are from, do not expect the heat you get in any part of South Africa. But winters in Ireland, well, that is a different story.
Winter – Ireland vs South Africa
Ireland is not famous for its winter weather. Winter is also the raining season in Ireland; however, if compared to some of the places in Mpumalanga and the Cape, amongst others, not as cold. The difference is where South African winter days in some parts may go from -6 or -10 in the morning to 12 or 15 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, the difference between midnight and midday temperatures in an Irish winter is not that great.
The average temperature in Ireland during winter ranges from 4-6 degrees Celsius. I have experienced morning temperatures as low as -2 degrees, but it is still warmer than a lot of places in South Africa during Winter. In Ireland, you will get up in the morning with a morning temperature of 2 degrees. Around noon the afternoon the heat may have gone up to 4 degrees.
Then, in my experience, there is more rain in winter than in summer. The rain can also make it feel colder than the mercury says it is. A good coat or jacket that is water-resistant is usually good enough.
There is less sun in winter than in the summer, and the days are short (well daylight instead). Mid-winter, sunrise can get quite close to 9 AM and sunset around 4 PM. The increase in cloud cover further decreases the amount of sunlight as a result of the rise in the number of rainy days.
Summer – Ireland vs South Africa
This brings me to summer. South African summers can be very warm with daytime temperatures frequently reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. The average summer temperature in South Africa falls in the 28-34 degree range, and in some places the night-time temperature remaining in the low 20’s.
Irish summers are a bit milder with morning temperatures ranging between 6-12 degrees Celsius and mid-day temperatures reaching 18-20 degrees. Some days the temperature can reach as high as 26-27 degrees, and from time-to-time, Ireland has seen temperatures as high as the low 30’s.
Summer is also a great time to soak up all the vitamin D that the sunshine provides, with sunrise being as early as 4:30 AM and sunset being as late as close to 11 PM in mid-summer. I’ve been walking around in a t-shirt and shorts over weekends for most of the summer.
I enjoy and love the Irish summer. The days are not too hot that I permanently feel hot, sticky and wet. And night-time it usually does not get too hot that I can’t sleep. There has, however, been a couple of evenings where I did miss the luxury and convenience of air-conditioning though.
When to visit Ireland
Any time of the year is an excellent time to visit Ireland. Summer does remain the best, but accommodation can be quite scarce and pricey. It is the summer holidays for the schools, and everyone tends to take this opportunity to go away for holidays. It is also the time of the year that tourism is at its peak.
Relocating to Ireland
If you don’t relocate to Ireland with unreasonable expectations and do your research and are prepared for what the weather and climate will be like, you may be pleasantly surprised.
If however, you think of the island of Ireland as a tropical island and relocate with the wrong expectation, you are not going to be happy.
Like any place in the world, there are characteristics of the Irish climate you are going to love, and some you are going to dislike. Some maybe a bit more than others. At the end if the day, it is not just all about the climate, but the better future for yourself, your family, and specifically your children, that you decide to make a move.
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