Page last updated Mon 1 Sep 2025

Aiden observed storm force winds

There were six named storms during the 2020/21 storm season, which ran from Tuesday 1 September 2020 to Tuesday 31 August 2021 (inclusive). The 2020/21 storm season was quieter than 2019/20 but still produced a mix of storms during holiday events (Halloween and St. Stephen's Day).

It began with Alex in early October, with heavy rain in County Wicklow (73 mm) and 10.7 m waves off County Donegal, though winds stayed in the gale range. By Halloween, storm force Aiden was gusting 130 km/h. On St. Stephen’s Day, Bella brought gusts to 122 km/h at Mace Head, a deep 961 hPa low at Malin Head and a huge 20 m wave out at buoy M6 in the deep Atlantic.

In January, Christoph was more about cold air and rain than extreme wind for Ireland, with near-gale force winds and almost 10 m waves recorded off County Donegal. Then in early February, Darcy brought a short burst of cold easterly gales, gusts of 83 km/h and waves above 12 m in the deep Atlantic. In July, Evert appeared as a summer storm, producing strong breeze conditions at the coast but heavy rainfall in County Waterford (46 mm).

Infra-red satellite image for storms in 2020/21 storm season
Name
(Named by)
Peak Impact Date
Highest sustained wind speed (km/h) Highest gust wind speed (km/h) Highest daily rainfall total (mm) Daily air temperatures (°C) Lowest mean sea level pressure (hPa) Highest individual wave (m)
-
Alex
(Météo France)
Sun 4 Oct 2020
Gale Force
74 km/h
(40 knots | 46 mph)
Roches Point (coastal), Co Cork
around 2pm
100 km/h
(54 knots | 62 mph)
Roches Point (coastal), Co Cork
at 1:46pm
73.1 mm
M.duff Hill, Co Wicklow
3.3°C at Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan to 16.8°C at 2 stations in Cork and Mayo 983.0 hPa
Dublin Airport, Co Dublin
around 9am and 10am and Sun 4th
10.7 m
Buoy M4 (off Donegal coast)
around 5pm
AIDEN
(Met Éireann)
Sat 31 Oct 2020 Icon image for PDF file
Storm Force
98 km/h
(53 knots | 61 mph)
Malin Head (coastal), Co Donegal
around noon
130 km/h
(70 knots | 81 mph)
Malin Head (coastal), Co Donegal
at 12:57am
33.5 mm
Glencar (Dreenagh), Co Kerry
2.3°C at Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan to 16.2°C at Merrion Square, Co Dublin 978.7 hPa
Belmullet (coastal), Co Mayo
around 6am
12.8 m
Buoy M3 (off Cork coast)
around 11am
BELLA
(Met Office)
Sat 26 Dec 2020 Icon image for PDF file
Gale Force
85 km/h
(46 knots | 53 mph)
Mace Head (coastal), Co Galway
around 2am and 7pm
122 km/h
(66 knots | 76 mph)
Mace Head (coastal), Co Galway
at 9:23pm
59.5 mm
Maam Valley, Co Galway
-0.4°C at Ballincurrig (Peafield), Co Cork to 12.0°C at 2 stations in Clare and Cork 961.2 hPa
Malin Head (coastal), Co Donegal
around 10pm Sun 27th
20.0 m
Buoy M6 (in the deep Atlantic)
around 3am
Christoph
(Met Office)
Thu 21 Jan 2021
Near Gale
56 km/h
(30 knots | 35 mph)
Malin Head (coastal), Co Donegal
around 6am
78 km/h
(42 knots | 48 mph)
Malin Head (coastal), Co Donegal
at 6:35am
13.2 mm
Creeslough (Brockagh), Co Donegal and Gweedore Weir, Co Donegal Fri 22nd and Fri 22nd
-3.8°C at Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan to 10.0°C at Dooks, Co Kerry 973.8 hPa
Malin Head (coastal), Co Donegal
around 3am
9.8 m
Buoy M4 (off Donegal coast)
around 6am Fri
Darcy
(KNMI)
Sun 7 Feb 2021
Gale Force
69 km/h
(37 knots | 43 mph)
Malin Head (coastal), Co Donegal
around 3am
83 km/h
(45 knots | 52 mph)
Malin Head (coastal), Co Donegal
at 3:26am
9.5 mm
Coomclogh, Co Cork
-1.6°C at Gurteen, Co Tipperary to 9.5°C at Glengarriff (Ilnacullin), Co Cork 1002.1 hPa
Sherkin Island (coastal), Co Cork
around 0am Tue 9th
12.1 m
Buoy M6 (in the deep Atlantic)
around 11pm Mon
Evert
(Met Office)
Fri 30 Jul 2021
Strong Breeze
46 km/h
(25 knots | 29 mph)
Roches Point (coastal), Co Cork and Malin Head, Co Donegal
around 1pm and 3am and Thu 29th
57 km/h
(31 knots | 36 mph)
Roches Point (coastal), Co Cork and Malin Head, Co Donegal
at 1:58pm and 2:25am and Thu 29th
46.0 mm
Crohaun Hill (Commeragh Mountains), Co Waterford Thu 29th
8.4°C at Horseleap, Co Offaly to 21.8°C at Glengarriff (Ilnacullin), Co Cork 1001.8 hPa
Malin Head (coastal), Co Donegal
around 1am Thu 29th
6.2 m
Buoy M5 (off south Wexford coast)
around 3am

storm names list for 2020/21 storm season