Donegal weather by month & the best time to visit
Ireland · seaside town · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Donegal is July — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 49/100), with August and June close behind. Donegal averages about 1,424 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 17°C / 63°F and roughly 119 mm of rain in July.
When is the best time to visit Donegal?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Donegal is July, then August and June. The dullest month is January (0/100, 143 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Donegal?
Donegal isn't a sunny place by world standards: about 1,424 hours of sunshine a year. 49 Sunshine Score points separate July (49) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #5 of 10 destinations in Ireland for annual sunshine, above the national median of 1,418 hours. The year's 1,412 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 8° / 46°F | 4° / 39°F | 143 mm | 0 | 8° / 46°F |
| February | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 4° / 39°F | 110 mm | 1 | 8° / 46°F |
| March | 6 | 9° / 48°F | 4° / 39°F | 102 mm | 1 | 8° / 46°F |
| April | 18 | 11° / 52°F | 6° / 43°F | 77 mm | 3 | 10° / 50°F |
| May | 29 | 13° / 55°F | 8° / 46°F | 97 mm | 4 | 13° / 55°F |
| June | 45 | 16° / 61°F | 11° / 52°F | 103 mm | 5 | 14° / 57°F |
| July | 49 | 17° / 63°F | 12° / 54°F | 119 mm | 4 | 15° / 59°F |
| August | 48 | 17° / 63°F | 12° / 54°F | 127 mm | 4 | 16° / 61°F |
| September | 39 | 15° / 59°F | 11° / 52°F | 109 mm | 3 | 15° / 59°F |
| October | 26 | 13° / 55°F | 9° / 48°F | 134 mm | 1 | 13° / 55°F |
| November | 10 | 10° / 50°F | 7° / 45°F | 143 mm | 0 | 11° / 52°F |
| December | 0 | 8° / 46°F | 5° / 41°F | 148 mm | 0 | 10° / 50°F |
Sea temperature in Donegal by month
The sea off Donegal is warmest in August at around 16°C / 61°F, and coolest in January at 8°C / 46°F. It never reaches comfortable swimming temperatures (21°C+). Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
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Donegal: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Donegal?
Donegal is a seaside town in Ireland with a oceanic / maritime climate — the sea reaches 16°C at its warmest.
How many hours of sunshine does Donegal get a year?
Donegal gets about 1,424 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around July.
When is the best time to visit Donegal?
The sunniest time to visit Donegal is July, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 49/100 (with August and June close behind). Expect daytime highs around 17°C / 63°F.
What is the least sunny month in Donegal?
January is the least sunny month in Donegal, scoring 0/100 with about 143 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Donegal?
The sea in Donegal ranges from about 8°C (January) to 16°C (August). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Donegal?
The typical midday UV index in Donegal peaks around 5 (moderate) in June, easing to about 0 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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