Irish climate review warns country is unprepared for worsening extremes

Climate review findings

The latest annual review from the Climate Change Advisory Council says any belief that climate change in Ireland can be deferred to the future should now be dismissed. Surveying Ireland’s climate over 2025, the report argues that the country is already in the midst of a climate crisis and is not doing nearly enough either to limit its intensification or to cope with consequences that are already unavoidable.

According to the review, Ireland’s climate is consistently warming, while extreme events linked to that warming are becoming more frequent and more intense. The report says this is causing, and threatening, greater damage to livelihoods, health, communities, critical infrastructure and ecosystems.

Extremes across 2025

The year opened with Storm Éowyn, whose record-breaking winds made it the most costly storm-related event in Irish insurance history. The review says extremes went on to dominate every aspect of Ireland’s climate during 2025.

Both spring and summer were the warmest on record. Average summer temperatures were almost 2°C above the 1961-1990 long-term average. Overall, 2025 was the second warmest year on record, and seven of the 10 warmest years have occurred since 2007.

The report also highlights sharp swings in rainfall. Widespread summer drought was followed by the fourth wettest autumn on record. That left land saturated and river levels elevated, making parts of the country exceptionally vulnerable to flooding during Storm Claudia in November and again during Storm Chandra the following January.

Gaps in preparation

The review places Ireland’s experience in a wider global context, noting that the last three years were the three warmest on record worldwide and that major greenhouse gases have reached their highest recorded levels. It also points to warnings in a recent UN World Meteorological Organization report, especially on the consequences of rising sea levels.

While the review acknowledges advances in climate monitoring, it says information remains fragmented, as does policy. It identifies early warning systems and flood defences as areas needing particular attention. It also warns that continued reliance on fossil fuels leaves Ireland exposed to the current oil crisis while also contributing directly to the global heating driving climate change.

Overall, the report presents what it describes as a deeply troubling picture of both climate change and Ireland’s response. It reinforces the urgency of previous recommendations to accelerate investment in and action on climate adaptation, warning that unless climate becomes central to political decision-making, Ireland will face more years like 2025 and potentially much worse ones soon after.