Dublin is situated at the mouth of the River Liffey and encompasses a land area of approximately 115 km2. It is bordered by a low mountain range to the south and surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west. The Liffey divides the city in two between the Northside and the Southside. Each of these is further divided by two lesser rivers – the River Tolka running northwest from Dubin Bay, and the River Dodder running southwest from the mouth of the Liffey. Two further water bodies – the Grand Canal on the southside and the Royal Canal on the northside – ring the inner city on their way to the west and the River Shannon.
The River Liffey bends at Leixlip from a predominantly east-west direction to a southwesterly route, and this point also marks the change from urban development to more agricultural land usage.
Cultural divideA north-south division has traditionally existed, with the River Liffey as the divider. The Northside is generally seen as working class, while the Southside is seen as middle to upper-middle class. The divide is punctuated by examples of Dublin "sub-culture" stereotypes, with upper-middle class constituents seen as tending towards an accent and demeanour synonymous with the Southside, and working-class Dubliners seen as tending towards characteristics associated with Northside and inner-city areas. Dublin's economic divide is east-west as well as north-south. There are also social divisions evident between the coastal suburbs in the east of the city, including those on the northside, and the newer developments further to the west.
ClimateSimilar to much of northwest Europe, Dublin experiences a maritime climate with mild winters, cool summers, and a lack of temperature extremes. The average maximum January temperature is 8.8 °C (48 °F), while the average maximum July temperature is 20.2 °C (68 °F). On average, the sunniest months are May and June, while the wettest month is October with 76 mm (3 in) of rain, and the driest month is February with 46 mm (2 in). Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.
Ringsend in the south of the city records the least amount of rainfall in Ireland, with an average annual precipitation of 683 mm (27 in), with the average annual precipitation in the city centre being 714 mm (28 in). The main precipitation in winter is rain; however snow showers do occur between November and March. Hail is more common than snow. The city experiences long summer days and short winter days. Strong Atlantic winds are most common in autumn. These winds can affect Dublin, but due to its easterly location it is least affected compared to other parts of the country. However conversely in winter, easterly winds render the city more prone to snow showers.
Climate data for Merrion Square, Dublin, (1981–2010 averages); extremes from all Dublin stations. Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 18.5 (65.3) 18.1 (64.6) 23.6 (74.5) 22.7 (72.9) 26.8 (80.2) 28.7 (83.7) 31.0 (87.8) 31.0 (87.8) 27.6 (81.7) 24.2 (75.6) 20.0 (68) 18.1 (64.6) 31.0 (87.8) Average high °C (°F) 8.8 (47.8) 8.9 (48) 10.7 (51.3) 12.4 (54.3) 15.2 (59.4) 18.0 (64.4) 20.2 (68.4) 19.6 (67.3) 17.3 (63.1) 14.0 (57.2) 11.0 (51.8) 9.3 (48.7) 13.8 (56.8) Average low °C (°F) 3.9 (39) 3.9 (39) 5.2 (41.4) 6.4 (43.5) 9.0 (48.2) 11.6 (52.9) 13.5 (56.3) 13.3 (55.9) 11.4 (52.5) 8.8 (47.8) 6.2 (43.2) 4.5 (40.1) 8.2 (46.8) Record low °C (°F) −15.6 (3.9) −13.4 (7.9) −9.8 (14.4) −7.2 (19) −5.6 (21.9) −0.7 (30.7) 1.8 (35.2) 0.6 (33.1) −1.7 (28.9) −5.6 (21.9) −9.3 (15.3) −15.7 (3.7) −15.7 (3.7) Rainfall mm (inches) 62.6 (2.465) 46.1 (1.815) 51.8 (2.039) 50.2 (1.976) 57.9 (2.28) 59.2 (2.331) 50.5 (1.988) 65.3 (2.571) 56.7 (2.232) 76.0 (2.992) 69.4 (2.732) 68.7 (2.705) 714.6 (28.134) Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 12 10 11 11 11 9 10 10 9 12 11 12 128 Mean monthly sunshine hours 58.9 75.3 108.9 160.0 194.5 179.2 164.3 156.8 128.8 103.3 70.6 52.6 1,453.2 Source #1: Met Éireann Source #2: European Climate Assessment & Dataset,
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