Galway weather in October

In October, Galway sees average daytime highs of 13°C and overnight lows near 8°C, with 95 mm of rain across 14.1 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 15°C in the first days to 12°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 18 min at the start of October to 9 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Galway's 3rd-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Galway's year-round climate.

Daytime high
13°
6th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Rainfall
95 mm
14.1 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
7:13 AM – 5:29 PM
Cloud cover
77%
3rd clearest
Wind
16 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.53 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.3
out of 10

Galway is city in Ireland.

Density
1,608/km²
people per km²
Founded
1124

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 15°C in the first days to 12°C by the end.

A typical October day in Galway reaches about 13°C in the afternoon and slips back to 8°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 11°C and 16°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 3°C cooler than September and about 3°C warmer than November.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1159
2159
3159
4159
5159
6149
7148
8148
9148
10148
11148
12148
13148
14148
15138
16138
17138
18138
19137
20137
21137
22137
23137
24127
25127
26127
27127
28127
29127
30127
31127

How October really feels in Galway

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

October sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Galway weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 9915.40.77.91.2
Feb / 8412.90.69.41.4
Mar10° / 7813.30.311.52.0
Apr13° / 7613.7013.73.0
May15° / 7913.5015.64.0
Jun17° / 10°7912.9016.64.8
Jul18° / 12°8414.5016.25.0
Aug18° / 12°9114014.65.1
Sep16° / 10°7512.3012.44.6
Oct13° / 9514.1010.33.3
Nov10° / 10114.408.42.1
Dec / 10415.20.47.41.3

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 77%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11981
21981
32080
42080
52080
62179
72278
82278
92278
102476
112575
122575
132575
142575
152575
162674
172575
182575
192575
202575
212575
222377
232278
242278
252278
262278
272278
282278
292278
302179
312278

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Galway gets around 95 mm of rain over 14.1 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 45% and peaks near 51% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
143
242
342
442
542
641
741
840
940
1040
1140
1240
1341
1441
1542
1642
1743
1844
1945
2046
2147
2248
2349
2450
2550
2651
2751
2851
2951
3051
3151

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
19010
29010
3919
4919
5919
6928
7928
8928
9937
10937
11937
12946
13946
14946
15946
16955
17955
18964
19964
20964
21973
22973
23973
24973
25982
26982
27982
28982
29982
30982
31982

Wind in October

Winds average 16 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min at the start of October to 9 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 120 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:45 AM to 7:42 AM, and sunset from 6:05 PM to 4:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.36:456:05
211.36:476:03
311.26:496:00
411.16:515:58
511.06:535:55
611.06:545:53
710.96:565:51
810.86:585:48
910.87:005:46
1010.77:025:43
1110.67:045:41
1210.67:065:39
1310.57:075:36
1410.47:095:34
1510.37:115:32
1610.37:135:29
1710.27:155:27
1810.17:175:25
1910.17:195:23
2010.07:215:20
219.97:235:18
229.97:255:16
239.87:265:14
249.77:285:12
259.77:305:10
269.67:325:08
279.57:345:06
289.57:365:04
299.47:385:02
309.37:405:00
319.37:424:58

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 1.53 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.49 kWh/m² to a high of 4.71 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 1.53 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.0Dim
21.9Dim
31.9Dim
41.9Dim
51.9Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.8Dim
91.7Dim
101.7Dim
111.7Dim
121.7Dim
131.6Dim
141.6Dim
151.6Dim
161.6Dim
171.5Dim
181.5Dim
191.5Dim
201.4Dim
211.4Dim
221.4Dim
231.3Dim
241.3Dim
251.3Dim
261.2Dim
271.2Dim
281.2Dim
291.1Dim
301.1Dim
311.1Dim
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Galway?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.3
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Galway.

What to pack for Galway in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Galway sees daytime highs around 13°C and nights near 8°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer. About 14 days see rain.

rain geara warm layer

Sea temperature near Galway in October

The nearest coast averages about 14°C in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 27 km away) is warmest in August at about 16°C and coldest in February near 9°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan9Bracing
Feb9Bracing
Mar9Bracing
Apr10Bracing
May12Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul16Cool
Aug16Cool
Sep15Cool
Oct14Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec10Bracing

UV index in Galway in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Galway peaks around August 11 at about 6 (high) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowAug 11UV 6Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr4Moderate
May5Moderate
Jun6High
Jul5High
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct2Low
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Galway?

Galway sits at 53.3°N, 9.1°W, 10 m above sea level, in Ireland. The nearest listed city is Ennis, 48 km away.

EnnisLimerickAthloneTullamoreAn Muileann gCearrSligoTraleePortlaoise

Topography around Galway

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Galway.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Galway has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 72 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 237 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 824 m.

The land around Galway is covered by water (35%), artificial surfaces (26%) and grassland (22%) within 3 km, grassland (54%) and water (33%) within 16 km, and grassland (65%) and water (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
72 m
16 km
237 m
80 km
824 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
October weather nearby: Ennis 48 km · Limerick 73 km · Athlone 76 km · Tullamore 104 km · An Muileann gCearr 117 km · Sligo 117 km · Tralee 120 km · Portlaoise 120 km

Ireland travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 85% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$131,592
2025
Happiness
6.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
96%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Roman Catholic 69%none 15%Protestant 4%Orthodox 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Galway (53.2724°, -9.051°, elevation 10 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).