Last month was coldest March on record in Midlands

It's official: last month was the coldest March on record in the Midlands.

The frosty conditions which have prevailed for several weeks now (and show no sign of vanishing) contributed to an average monthly temperatures of 3.2 degrees celsius below the norm for this time of year at Met Eireann's station in Mullingar.

It was the coldest March on record in the 63 years since the Mullingar station opened.

The only silver lining came in the form of decreased rainfall. The levels of rain recorded in Mullingar during the month were roughly half (52%) of the monthly average.

The national meteorological service has forecast that the current spell of very cold but dry weather will continue for the remainder of this week.