2021 in Pictures

sryanbruen

It hasn't been the greatest year at all but 2021 still has had its moments. These are some weather related images I have captured through the course of the year.

A rare severe frost on Jan 9th in the Phoenix Park down to -6/-7C, coldest morning since 2015.

The one decent snow day of the year - Jan 24th when a localised streamer gave Portmarnock, Malahide, Baldoyle, Howth, Clontarf area a couple of cm during the morning hours. January snow has been very rare to come by in the recent decade and indeed this century so far, this was the first time since 2010 that I seen more than a dusting in January. When the sun came out as the snow stopped falling, it gave me reminiscence of 2010 but the sun also helped to melt the snow though many patches on the Howth hills and in shadows stuck around until the 26th.

Mammatus clouds on March 11th in advance of a hail shower, one of two heavy hail showers during March.

Spring finally blooming on 14 April with the annual cherry blossoms showing their hand in Herbert Park on a beautiful sunny day as was common this April.

Although the morning for Darkness Into Light was horrible and wet on 8th May, the evening was very colourful with a fabulous colourful sunset that I got to enjoy at Burrow Beach as I anticipated from the sky once the rain cleared. Southwesterlies if you can manage a clearance can give excellent colourful skies due to the frequence of high cloud.

Shelf cloud at Baldoyle Bay and Burrow Beach on 18th May. Heard one single distant rumble from this but the structure of the cloud was fascinating and weird looking once it fully formed.

An amazing full 360 solar halo on 27 May before the rain came. It was very visible with the naked eye and didn't need to blind myself to see it.

Cirrocumulus sky at Burrow Beach during sunrise on May 30th.

A type-V noctilucent cloud display reflected into the Malahide Estuary on June 18th.

Mirror reflections at Bullock Harbour on 16th July with little cloud in the sky.

People enjoying the warmth cooling off at Vico Baths on 16th July.

The start of a blissful warm to hot day ahead at Portmarnock Beach on 17th July near the beginning of an exceptional heatwave. I have a lot more from the heatwave than these two but I have enough photos already in the post!

Late summer heather at the Ben of Howth on a fine August evening - one of a few during the final week of August 2021 which was another poor August overall but least it provided the nicest August weather in ages for a couple of days.

Grand Canal looking gorgeous on October 30th in the autumn carpet and reflection perfection.

Joe Public

Thanks for the summary and great photos.

miamee

Fantastic post and photos @sryanbruen - it's easy to forget that it wasn't all bad in 2021 :)

dacogawa

Nice shots @sryanbruen ! and a great idea for a thread too. We should do this every year.

I'm going to have to have a look through 2021 as it seemed to merge with 2020, here are two pictures of Poolbeg Lighthouse taken in the last few months of 2021. The Full Moon rising and at Storm Barra.

Goldfinch8

Lovely idea for a thread alright and great shots @sryanbruen and @dacogawa.

My own personal highs for the year began with that lovely, crisp and blue skied frosty week in early January.

April and May were cool if not cold at times and didn't hold a candle to the previous great spring.

I recall 3 nice evening skies that were quite beautiful in June but they were rare enough overall. There was a nice red sunset on the eve of the summer solistice itself. We had a lovely golden evening here two days later on bonfire night which was the 23rd. Some smoke lingered late into the evening to give a hazy dusk and as that cleared into the night there followed a great show of noctilucent clouds that lasted most of the night.

My favourite sky however only lasted for a few minutes but it was worth sitting it out and waiting for it to do its thing when I was out along the River Moy on the eve of the 27th. (Below)

The July heatwave was glorious here in this part of the west and I enjoyed many late evening swims. I particularly enjoyed one evening on Enniscrone beach sitting in the heat and watching a line of thunderstorms come up through parts of Sligo and Mayo but bypassing where we were and I could just watch the show unfold! (Below)

We had some golden evenings in late August and early September after warm days that were a nice end to summer. Below, one of those hazy golden sunsets here in Mayo at that time.

Other highlights were two unusual rainbows in May and June. I saw a flat one on Lough Conn in May and a quite special orange one in June on a wet evening that was just clearing up.

Some nice lenticulars also. The one below developed to the south of Nephin mountain on August 5th in thundery weather.

The next one was just a solitary one on a nice evening in late September.

Finally, autumn was bland enough here but there was lovely late colour in the garden as the leaves turned and then fell.