Galway Weather Month by Month
The weather here does not just decide what you wear. It decides whether your ferry sails, whether your cliff cruise runs, and how many hours the gate at the Cliffs of Moher is open when you get there. Those three things move every plan you make, and they move by month. Compare the Galway day tours against the month you are coming.
What the weather does to a visit here
Three consequences, in the order they matter.
- It cancels crossings. The ferry to Inis Oírr and the cruise under the Cliffs of Moher both sail at the skipper's discretion, and most of the coach listings carry a bad-weather cancellation clause. Gale days cluster in December, January and February.
- It shortens the day. The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience closes at 17:00 from November to February and at 21:00 from May to August. A winter day trip has four fewer hours of gate to use.
- It does not stop the coaches. One operator's own notes tell you the tour operates in all weather and to dress for it. Your Clare and Connemara days run in rain; only the boats stop.
Galway weather month by month
Figures below are Met Éireann's 1991–2020 averages for Shannon Airport, the nearest long-term station to Galway on the same Atlantic coast, eighty kilometres south. Met Éireann publishes no thirty-year average for a Galway station.
January
Mean daily maximum 8.9 °C, minimum 3.3 °C. Rain falls on about 17 days and totals 104 mm. Sunshine runs 1.7 hours a day, the lowest of the year, and there are 1.8 gale days. The Cliffs of Moher open 09:00 to 17:00, so a day trip has eight hours of daylight to work with and the ferry is the first thing cancelled.
February
Maximum 9.4 °C, minimum 3.3 °C. Rain totals 87 mm over about 14 wet days, and sunshine climbs to 2.4 hours a day. Gale days drop to 1.2. Gate hours stay at 09:00 to 17:00. Book a Clare or Connemara day rather than an island day, because the crossing is still the thing most likely to go.
March
Maximum 10.9 °C, minimum 4.0 °C, rain 76 mm. Sunshine reaches 3.6 hours a day and gale days fall below one. The Cliffs of Moher move to 08:00 to 19:00 on 1 March, which puts four more hours on the day. Early departures become worth taking again.
April
Maximum 13.4 °C, minimum 5.8 °C. This is the driest month of the year at 62 mm over about 11 wet days, with 5.4 hours of sun a day. Frost has effectively gone. Gate hours run 08:00 to 19:00, and the island crossings are reliable again — the best value month for a Clare day.
May
Maximum 16.0 °C, minimum 8.1 °C, rain 63 mm. Sunshine peaks here at 5.9 hours a day, higher than July. Gale days average 0.2. The Cliffs of Moher open 08:00 to 21:00 from 1 May, so an evening visit after the coaches leave becomes possible for the first time.
June
Maximum 18.3 °C, minimum 10.8 °C. Rain totals 70 mm over 11 wet days and sunshine holds at 5.5 hours. Gate hours stay 08:00 to 21:00 and daylight runs past ten in the evening. Small-group day trips start selling out a week ahead.
July
The warmest month: maximum 19.5 °C, minimum 12.6 °C. Rain rises to 76 mm and sunshine falls to 4.4 hours a day. Gale days average zero. The Arts Festival runs 13 to 26 July and the Races follow at the end of the month, so book beds and seats months ahead.
August
Maximum 19.1 °C, minimum 12.4 °C, rain 88 mm over about 14 wet days. Sunshine is 4.6 hours a day. The Cliffs of Moher stay open to 21:00 until the end of the month. Crowds peak between 11:00 and 16:00 at the cliffs, which is when every coach arrives.
September
Maximum 17.5 °C, minimum 10.7 °C, rain 77 mm. Sunshine drops to 3.9 hours a day and gate hours shorten to 08:00 to 19:00. Galway City Museum stops opening on Sundays in mid-September. The crowds go before the weather does, which makes it the best month for the cliffs.
October
Maximum 14.2 °C, minimum 8.1 °C. Rain climbs to 96 mm over 15 wet days and sunshine falls to 3.0 hours. Gale days return at 0.5. The October Racing Festival runs 24 to 26 October, and gate hours hold at 08:00 to 19:00 until the end of the month.
November
Maximum 11.1 °C, minimum 5.5 °C, rain 107 mm over 17 wet days. Sunshine is 2.1 hours a day. The Cliffs of Moher shorten to 09:00 to 17:00 on 1 November. Island crossings become unreliable, so build the week around the Connemara and Clare days.
December
The wettest month: 115 mm of rain over 17 wet days, with maximum 9.2 °C and minimum 3.7 °C. Sunshine is 1.5 hours a day and there are 1.3 gale days. The Cliffs of Moher close on 24, 25 and 26 December. City walks and tasting tours run through it.
The year in four numbers
If you only look at one thing before choosing a month, look at this.
| Month | Mean daily max | Rain | Sun per day | Gale days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.9 °C | 104 mm | 1.7 h | 1.8 |
| February | 9.4 °C | 87 mm | 2.4 h | 1.2 |
| March | 10.9 °C | 76 mm | 3.6 h | 0.9 |
| April | 13.4 °C | 62 mm | 5.4 h | 0.4 |
| May | 16.0 °C | 63 mm | 5.9 h | 0.2 |
| June | 18.3 °C | 70 mm | 5.5 h | 0.2 |
| July | 19.5 °C | 76 mm | 4.4 h | 0.0 |
| August | 19.1 °C | 88 mm | 4.6 h | 0.1 |
| September | 17.5 °C | 77 mm | 3.9 h | 0.1 |
| October | 14.2 °C | 96 mm | 3.0 h | 0.5 |
| November | 11.1 °C | 107 mm | 2.1 h | 0.8 |
| December | 9.2 °C | 115 mm | 1.5 h | 1.3 |
April is the driest month and May the sunniest, not July. December is the wettest and January the darkest. Gale days — the ones that stop your ferry — cluster in the four months from November, so plan an island crossing outside them if you can.
The seasons, and which one you want
Spring, March to May
The driest and sunniest stretch of the year: April takes 62 mm of rain and May gives you 5.9 hours of sun a day. Gale days are near zero, so your island crossing is dependable, and the cliffs stay open until 21:00 from 1 May. You will find fares and beds still off-peak.
Summer, June to August
Warmest and busiest. July reaches 19.5 °C and takes 76 mm of rain, and you get less sun than in May. The two festival fortnights land here, so book your small-group days well ahead.
Autumn, September and October
September keeps 17.5 °C and long evenings and loses the crowds. October adds 20 mm of rain and takes an hour of your daylight away. Gate hours hold at 08:00 to 19:00 through both, so you still get a full day out.
Winter, November to February
Wet, dark and windy: 104 to 115 mm of rain a month and 1.5 to 2.4 hours of sun a day. The cliffs close at 17:00 and your crossing stops being reliable. The city tours and the tasting walks run all winter, so you are never short of a day.
Best time of day
The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience names its own peak as 11:00 to 16:00, which is exactly when every coach day arrives. If you can pick your departure, take an early one: it reaches the cliffs before the middle of that window. From May to August the gate stays open until 21:00, and that is your one chance to be up there with nobody else on it.
In the city the reverse holds. Walking tours run from mid-morning to six in the evening and the tasting routes at three and six. If you arrive in the afternoon you can still do something the same day.
Where these figures come from
- Climate normals 1991–2020, Shannon Airport — Met Éireann. Met Éireann publishes no thirty-year average for a Galway station, and Shannon is the nearest long-term record on the same coast.
- Opening hours and closure dates — Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.
- Weather-cancellation terms — read from each operator's own listing on the day the prices were captured.
Check the forecast yourself the evening before you travel. These are averages, and the Atlantic does not read them.
Frequently asked about the weather
What happens if the weather turns?
What should I wear on a day trip?
When is the best month to visit Galway?
What happens if the ferry is cancelled?
What time do the Cliffs of Moher open?
Which day trip should I take first?
Next: compare the fares on Galway Ireland Tours. Read what a gale does to your crossing on the Aran Islands. Plan the rest of your trip on planning your trip.