There is "clear evidence" that humans are having an impact on Ireland's climate according to research carried out by Maynooth University's Icarus Climate Research Centre.
The study analysed Irish temperature and rainfall records, linking changes to global temperature fluctuations, before measuring how our climate has changed since early industrial conditions when natural climate variability dominated, to being ‘unusual’ or ‘unfamiliar’ relative to that benchmark.
Researchers said the results illustrate that humans are having an effect on the climate here, and highlights the need for climate adaption measures, particularly flood protection.
The annual average temperature was found to be the strongest indicator of human-induced climate change in Ireland, with the country as a whole warming at a rate of 0.88 degrees per 1 degree increase in global temperature.
The east of the country has noted the greatest rate of warming in annual temperature, lead by the Phoenix Park, which is warming at 1.14 degrees for every 1 degree increase in global temperature.
Other locations in Armagh, Birr, Co Offaly, and Dublin also had warming rates above 1 degree.
Rainfall also increased over the period examined, bringing "considerable increases in flood risk". The warning comes as parts of the country were severely impacted by flooding caused by Storm Babet.
One third of the 30 rainfall stations analysed in the study showed increases in rainfall intensity, which often causes surface flooding, with average rainfall intensity increasing by 8.2 per cent per 1 degree of global warming.
"Human-driven climate change is now discernible in Irish weather records," Professor Conor Murphy of Icarus and the Deparment of Geography at Maynooth University said.
"Of the 903 climate indicators we analysed across the study, 37 per cent show the emergence of conditions we would consider at least ‘unusual’ relative to early industrial or natural climate."
Prof Murphy warned: "These results clearly tell us that adaptation to the impacts of climate change needs to be given greater emphasis in national and local climate policy.
"Climate change is here, and it is evident in our weather observations."
The research was carried out by the MSc Climate Change class at Maynooth University, alongside researchers at the university and Met Éireann.
The findings have also been published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Weather and Climate Extremes.
