Ireland enjoys a temperate maritime climate, due mainly to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the presence of the Gulf Stream. Known as the Emerald Isle, Ireland is so green because it receives a lot of precipitation. Typical winter weather in Ireland is clouds and rain with the occasional sunny spell. The mountains may have snow on them for many weeks in winter, but falls on the lower ground on only a few days a year, and is generally not a feature of the Irish climate. Overnight temperatures often drop below freezing point, and ice and frosts are common.
Typically, summers in Ireland have warm, sunny weather and a sky dotted with gentle fluffy clouds. Light rain occasionally occurs on days like these, but summer rain is usually restricted to a few wet days. In July and August, the conditions can become very humid and thunder storms can occur with lightning. Ireland, an area close to the coast rarely has a large difference between summer and winter conditions. With an average 10ºC difference between January and July the weather is much more consistent.
In terms of temperature, it is again the south that enjoys the warmest weather. While the north coast is cooler than the south, the coolest areas are the inland areas which are away from the warm waters of the ocean.
