Early February 1 February
49°F
Typical afternoon high
48% historical wet-day frequency
Ireland · Beach
Is February a good time?
February averages 50°F afternoons and 49°F seas, with about 14 rain days.
Historical Southern regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Cork, Kerry, Ring of Kerry and Cliffs of Moher; conditions vary within the region.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#10 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your February
Afternoons around 50°F (10°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 38°F (3°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 14 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 10 hours of daylight.
The sea averages 49°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
The sun rises about 07:51 and sets about 17:44 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 38°F (3°C); afternoons reach about 50°F (10°C). Expect rain on about 14 days in a typical February.
Early, middle or late?
Early and late February have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 49°F on the 1st, versus 50°F on the 28th. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 48% to 41% between those dates.
49°F
Typical afternoon high
48% historical wet-day frequency
50°F
Typical afternoon high
54% historical wet-day frequency
50°F
Typical afternoon high
41% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Public holidays · 2027: 1 Feb Saint Brigid's Day.
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 149° | 249° | 349° | 448° | 548° | 648° | 749° |
| 849° | 949° | 1049° | 1149° | 1249° | 1349° | 1450° |
| 1550° | 1650° | 1750° | 1850° | 1951° | 2051° | 2151° |
| 2251° | 2350° | 2450° | 2550° | 2650° | 2750° | 2850° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 48°F (9°C) in the first week to 50°F (10°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 41–54%.
School-holiday dates for February 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 1 Feb Saint Brigid's Day. Elsewhere in February 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 42%, Netherlands 46%, Belgium 25%, Czechia 18%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Visitor season
Low season. February averages 17% of August's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to January.
Overnight stays across Southern do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Well below usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Year-to-year variation
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 46°F (8°C) and 52°F (11°C); in 13 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 50°F (10°C). Rain days ranged from 3 to 23; half the years had 10–18.
Rain days in each February
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 51°F | 18 |
| 2012 | 51°F | 6 |
| 2013 | 47°F | 8 |
| 2014 | 48°F | 23 |
| 2015 | 47°F | 10 |
| 2016 | 48°F | 15 |
| 2017 | 50°F | 14 |
| 2018 | 46°F | 11 |
| 2019 | 52°F | 11 |
| 2020 | 49°F | 22 |
| 2021 | 49°F | 17 |
| 2022 | 51°F | 18 |
| 2023 | 52°F | 3 |
| 2024 | 52°F | 15 |
| 2025 | 50°F | 14 |
Checked against 29 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
| Typical conditions | Jan | Feb | Mar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 48°F | 50°F | 52°F |
| Sea | 49°F | 49°F | 49°F |
| Rain days | 13 | 14 | 11 |
| Overnight demand | 15% | 17% | 21% |
January: Similar monthly conditions to February. January guide →
March: Warmer afternoons and fewer rain days than February. More overnight demand. March guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. February stays as your reference.
April to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than February, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
Overnight stays are 15% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest well below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the January guide →| Typical conditions | February | January |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 50°F | 48°F |
| Nights | 38°F | 37°F |
| Sea | 49°F | 49°F |
| Rain days | 14 | 13 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Month rank | #10 | #9 |
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.0 | #9 | 48°F | 37°F | 49°F | 13 | 1.0 | Low season |
| February | 3.0 | #10 | 50°F | 38°F | 49°F | 14 | 1.0 | Low season |
| March | 3.1 | #8 | 52°F | 38°F | 49°F | 11 | 1.1 | Low season |
| April | 4.4 | #5 | 56°F | 40°F | 50°F | 9 | 2.5 | Moderate season |
| May | 5.1 | #4 | 61°F | 44°F | 53°F | 9 | 3.7 | Moderate season |
| June | 5.3 | #2 | 66°F | 49°F | 57°F | 11 | 4.8 | Moderate season |
| July | 5.2 | #3 | 68°F | 52°F | 60°F | 9 | 5.5 | Busy season |
| August | 4.2 | #7 | 67°F | 52°F | 60°F | 10 | 5.3 | Peak season |
| September | 5.5 | #1 | 64°F | 50°F | 60°F | 11 | 4.3 | Low season |
| October | 4.3 | #6 | 58°F | 47°F | 57°F | 13 | 2.3 | Moderate season |
| November | 3.0 | #11 | 52°F | 42°F | 54°F | 14 | 1.0 | Low season |
| December | 3.0 | #12 | 50°F | 40°F | 52°F | 15 | 1.0 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Elsewhere in Europe
The south of Ireland's weather ranks 63 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Ireland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with The south of Ireland.
AsturiasSpain · about 640 miles
Poor weather (2.2): 8°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, cheaper
GaliciaSpain · about 660 miles
Poor weather (2.2): 8°F warmer afternoons, 2 fewer rain days, cheaper
Porto & northern Portugalabout 750 miles
Fair weather (3.1): 9°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Central Portugalabout 830 miles
Fair weather (3.7): 10°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, cheaper
French Riviera & ProvenceFrance · about 880 miles
Fair weather (3.8): 6°F warmer afternoons, 8 fewer rain days, cheaper
It's low season, 17% of the busiest month and 59% below its average month. That means about 17,000 overnight visitors on a typical February night across the region, 70% of them from Ireland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 2,900 more: 16 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 35 |
| How our weather was checked | 29 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.1°C), night lows within 1°F (0.7°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 10 |
| Busiest month here | August · 59 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.0% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 64th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 70% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 16 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.1% |
| National hotel-price season | Ireland historical 2024–2025 index: Well below usual (−11% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 1.8 million |
| Statistical region | IE05 · Southern |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.