Irish Weather Thread

[Catmalojin]

Surprised we don't have a thread on what is one of the Irish peoples' most beloved conversation starters - the weather!

Today was a fantastic day here in Dublin - it was the same across the island except for those in the very far south, around Cork. It hit 25.5ºC at Phoenix Park this afternoon - the hottest temperature recorded this year!

Hottest day of the year in Dublin

CÍAN NIHILL

Wed, Sep 28, 2011



Today was Dublin's hottest day of the year, with temperatures in Phoenix Park reaching 25.5 degrees in the early afternoon according to Met Éireann.

The reading surpasses the warmest temperature officially recorded anywhere in the country by the national forecaster so far in 2011 with the previous high mark being 25.4 degrees in Oak Park in Carlow on June 3rd.

While warm temperatures are not uncommon during September, they usually occur early in the month. Today's temperatures were the highest ever recorded so late in the month with most of the country over 20 degrees.

However, the sunshine did not extend to every part of Ireland with areas in the south and southwest in particular experiencing overcast conditions and temperatures of around 14 degrees.

Mark Dunphy, editor of irishweatheronline.com, explained that the divided fortune in weather for the different parts of the country was based on a rain front coming in from the Atlantic Ocean clashing with a high pressure system travelling north from continental Europe.

"Along the east coast it was about eight to ten degrees warmer than the average for September but along the south and southwest coast it was a completely different day" he said.

He added that the sunny weather would not last long and that talks of a heat wave were premature.

"On Friday places like Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Clare, will have up to an inch and a half of rain and the Atlantic system (bringing rain) will move further east."

Met Éireann said that temperatures were reaching their peak today and that while areas in east Ulster and Leinster can expect a few more days of dry weather in the 20s, that more places would see rain from tomorrow onwards.

© 2011 irishtimes.com

[nordisk celt83]

It says a lot about how bad our summers have been when our highest temperatures are recorded in Autumn and Spring.

In the past, there was typically at least one warm spell in summer that would result in temps reaching close to 30 or just above 30!!!

[nordisk celt83]

I complained a lot about the weather today; too hot in work. (28 on the thermometer outside)

There's always something to complain about!!!

[Catmalojin]

Originally Posted by nordisk celt83

It says a lot about how bad our summers have been when our highest temperatures are recorded in Autumn and Spring.

In the past, there was typically at least one warm spell in summer that would result in temps reaching close to 30 or just above 30!!!

It's been a recurring theme the past few years, spring and autumn (September, specifically) have been far better than the traditional summer months. The last good summer I remember is 2006, mainly around June and July - it hit 32.2ºC then, if I remember correctly.

Originally Posted by nordisk celt83

I complained a lot about the weather today; too hot in work. (28 on the thermometer outside)

There's always something to complain about!!!

Makes me glad that I'm a student.

[Never give up]

If we don´t the issue of climate change seriously then this will be the kind of weather we will be looking at on this thread.

[belfastuniguy]

Originally Posted by Never give up

If we don´t the issue of climate change seriously then this will be the kind of weather we will be looking at on this thread.

That's a bit dramatic. Rising sea levels aren't a pressing issues for the island of Ireland as the landmass has been slowly rising after the effects of glacial compression.

However other issues such as colder and harsher winters are a concern. People forget that global warming doesn't mean we all get warmed.

[Catmalojin]

Just to correct the figure above, 25.6ºC was recorded in Phoenix Park yesterday. I'm pedantic about that sort of stuff, so just wanted the correct figure on the record.

[Catmalojin]

Autumn is definitely with us!

Rain causes floods and O2 mobile disruption
Updated: 19:16, Saturday, 1 October 2011

Mobile network O2 has confirmed that heavy rain in the Dublin and Wicklow regions this morning has caused disruption to mobile services.

O2 says many customers are experiencing "patchy service" and in some cases no service at all.

The company says its technicians are working to restore services as soon as possible.

It says there have been "coverage issues" reported in Carlow, Clare, Cork, Dublin, Kerry and Wicklow.

Heavy downpours also resulted in spot flooding on roads around the capital city, but most roads remain passable.

There are no reports of significant disruption outside Dublin.

Iarnród Éireann says it is keeping an eye on the east coast high tide in case it causes further flooding.

DART services have now resumed after being suspended for a time earlier due to flooding south of Dún Laoghaire.

Met Éireann has forecast further spells of heavy and persistent rain in eastern and southern parts this evening, with a continuing risk of localised flooding.

The rain will become more widespread overnight.

Story from RTÉ News:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1001/dublin_weather.html

[odlum833]

Wonder will we get as much snow and ice this year as last year.

[Catmalojin]

Well, today was a pretty stormy day and some parts of the northwest actually had snow:

Dublin flights diverted due to strong winds
Updated: 21:16, Monday, 17 October 2011

Strong winds at Dublin Airport this afternoon saw five flights cancelled and 14 flights diverted, while snow in the northwest is making driving conditions hazardous.


Snowfall in the Glenshane Pass in Co Derry

Severe crosswinds at Dublin Airport have resulted in a number of flights being cancelled or diverted to Belfast and Shannon airports.

Five flights were cancelled and 14 planes were diverted due to severe crosswinds right across the airfield.

Winds gusted up to 54 knots at times.

Inbound flights from Vienna, Warsaw, Barcelona, Berlin, Glasgow, Rome, Amsterdam, Beauvais and Stockholm were diverted to Belfast or Shannon.

An American Airlines flight inbound from Chicago was diverted to London.

Five outbound flights - to Manchester, Birgminham, Luxembourg, Edinburgh and London Heathrow - were cancelled.

Met Éireann said this kind of weather is not particularly unusual for this time of year.

The forcast is for "extremely windy, blustery and very wet weather" with gust of up to 100 km/h likely in many areas.

Elsewhere, motorists in the north and northwest are being advised to drive with caution as sleet, snow and heavy rain are making conditions hazardous.

AA Roadwatch say motorists are advised to take care in Do Donegal tonight on all routes around Dryarch in Letterkenny due to flooding.

They say care is also required on roads around Navenney in Ballybofey where flooding has been reported. The Glen Road between Glenties and Ballybofey is reported to be impassable due to flooding.

In Mayo the Newport/Glenhest Road is flooded . And in County Fermanagh the A4 has reopened at Belcoo just north of Blacklion following earlier flooding.

The UK Met Office has warned of the possibility of further flash flooding in Northern Ireland with heavy rain and strong winds.

Story from RTÉ News:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1017/weather.html

[Catmalojin]

Well, we had some weather yesterday! A one-in-eighty-year event in South Dublin...

Heavy Rainfall of 24th October 2011 in the greater Dublin Area
25 October 2011

A spell of very heavy rainfall affected mainly Eastern and Northern parts of Ireland during the 24th October. Initial analysis of the available measurements results in the following comments. Although significant amounts affected many areas, the greater Dublin Area received by far the most rainfall. Our station at Casement Aerodrome in South West County Dublin set a new record of 82.2mm for the greatest daily total for the month of October for casement, since rainfall records began there in 1954. The greatest daily total for any month of the year for Casement was 108.6mm which fell on 11th June 1993.

The majority of the rainfall occurred during the period from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. with 65.7mm falling in the 4 hours between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. This 4-hour fall is approximately a 1 in 80 year event. The 23.0mm of rainfall which fell between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. made this the wettest hour on record at Casement Aerodrome.

The stations at Dublin Airport and the Phoenix Park also had significant daily rainfall totals of 69.1mm and 71.3mm respectively. In terms of annual exceedence probability, the daily totals at the Dublin stations would represent approximately 1 in 20 to 1 in 25 year events.

The table below summarises the most significant figures.

Station - Daily Rainfall total - Return period - Max. 4-hour Rainfall - Return Period
Casement Aerodrome - 82.2mm - 20 years - 65.7mm - 80 years
Dublin Airport - 71.3mm - 20 years - 48.2mm - 45 years
Phoenix Park - 69.1mm - 25 years - 42.9mm - 40 years

Putting these events in historical context:

• Over 180mm was recorded on 11th June 1963 during a violent thunderstorm in the Mount Merrion area of South Dublin.
• 11th June 1993, exactly 30 years later, saw amounts of rain of around 100mm over 24 hours in the Dublin area.
• 29th June 2005 saw 45mm fall in the Phoenix Park in less than an hour.
• 9th August 2008 saw heavy rainfall, particularly affecting the North Kildare and Dublin area with amounts in excess of 70mm measured in the Celbridge, Lucan, Leixlip area.

The radar image below shows the pattern of rainfall at 5 p.m. ( 1600 UTC ).

Severe flooding all over the city. Dundrum Town Centre is still closed (except, of course, Tesco who are determined to remain open 24/7), while public transport services are still disrupted.

RTÉ are doing a very good job at keeping people up-to-date.

Also Irish Weather Online have some brilliant videos and photographs on their site.

Unfortunately, at least two people have lost their lives as a result of the flooding.

[odlum833]

We need to rethink how we do drainage in this country

[belfastuniguy]

Originally Posted by odlum833

We need to rethink how we do drainage in this country

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEiBXG4g9Q4">YouTube Link</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU659YPRVs0">YouTube Link</a>

It's rather difficult to cope with that amount of water to be fair, even some of the best systems wouldn't have coped.

You'd need a system like the one in Belfast, the massive storm water and sewer tunnel project, to be able to cope. Even then other areas will still experience flash flooding.

[odlum833]

There are flood defence systems in parts of the city. They do work because those areas use to flood. But, yes, no matter what some areas will be more vulnerable then others. The geography of the Southside of the city would make any major drainage remedy very expensive and difficult to construct.

[Catmalojin]

To be fair, it was a one-in-eighty year event in that part of the city. Most flood management systems/drainage schemes aren't designed for that.

[odlum833]

Bet they did not realise their tickets were for the viking splash tour




Random stuff..

[Catmalojin]

Looks like they're preparing for the worst.

Council to consider snow plan for Dublin

OLIVIA KELLY

Wed, Nov 09, 2011

A SEVERE weather plan to keep Dublin’s roads and footpaths accessible this winter, and proposals for bylaws to make businesses responsible for clearing paths, will be presented to city councillors tomorrow.

The council has stockpiled 2,350 tonnes of salt and is seeking 1,155 tonnes more from the National Roads Authority to keep streets free of snow and ice in the event of a return to last winter’s severe conditions.

It will also have 10 salt spreaders and two snow ploughs for street maintenance, and 17 smaller spreaders and 10 small snow ploughs for footpaths. It will assign 688 staff to severe weather duties for this winter.

The council has compiled separate lists of roads and footpaths which will be spread with salt. Priority will be given to keeping footpaths and streets in the city centre, and the carriageways of major arterial routes, clear, but just a handful of suburban footpaths will be salted.

Approximately 300km of roads have been selected for salt spreading, and the council will stockpile salt at 22 “critical locations” for manual salting during periods of heavy traffic. It said it was not possible to salt all roads in the city and it was prioritising primary and secondary roads, quality bus corridors and other heavily used bus and commuter routes.

Resources will be applied this winter to clearing footpaths in the city centre and some suburbs of snow and ice. Staff from the roads maintenance division, waste management services, parks department, drainage division and outside contractors will be deployed to footpath clearance duties.

About 2,500km of footpaths lie within the council’s jurisdiction. While an effort would be made to keep all city centre footpaths clear, it would not be possible to salt all suburban footpaths, it said.

The council’s roads and traffic department said it would have further consultations with local area offices to determine what areas most required clearance but priority would be given to areas around hospitals, public buildings, shops, schools, rail stations and bus stops in the selected districts.

Bylaws requiring shop owners and other businesses to keep the footpaths outside their premises free from snow and ice will be considered by councillors tomorrow.

The previous minister for transport Noel Dempsey last year said he was considering making people legally obliged to clear snow and ice from footpaths without incurring liability during severe weather. However, legislation never materialised.

The council’s law agent Terence O’Keeffe has said it would be complex but not impossible to introduce such bylaws. Problems would arise, he said, if the bylaws applied to householders. Issues such as how they would apply to people who were on holidays, or out at work, or elderly people or others who could not clear snow or pay for someone to do it for them, would cause difficulties.

However, he said bylaws covering commercial premises only could be enforced. They will not, however, be in place this winter. The bylaws, if sanctioned by councillors, could be subject to a public consultation phase early next year and be in force by next winter.

Meanwhile, the National Roads Authority has said it has enough salt to cope with severe weather for the next three winters. A spokesman for the authority said it has 80,000 tonnes of salt in storage and has tendered for 70,000 more for use on national roads. It has also allocated a further 60,000 tonnes for use on regional and local roads by city and county councils.

A significant proportion of the salt stocks have already been distributed to local authorities, while additional supplies will be disbursed as the need arises.

Salt in the City: Paths to be kept clear but little joy for suburbs

MOST CITY-CENTRE footpaths will be kept clear of snow and ice during severe weather this winter, Dublin City Council has said, but just a select number of suburban areas will have the benefit of salting.

On the southside salt will be spread on footpaths in the village centres of Terenure, Rathgar, Rathmines, Dartry, Ranelagh, Donnybrook, Ballsbridge, Sandymount, Ringsend and Harold’s Cross. Clanbrassil Street, Cork Street, part of the Crumlin Road, the area around Crumlin Hospital, paths surrounding the Walkinstown roundabout, St Agnes Road, parts of Ballyfermot and a number of points on the Grand Canal and the South Circular Road will also be salted.

On the northside the council will spread salt on footpaths at Blackhall Place, Stoneybatter, Manor Street and Prussia Street, leaving a clear run from James Joyce Bridge to the North Circular Road. Phibsborough Village and the Cabra Road to Annamoe Terrace and a number of roads in Cabra will be salted.

The footpath from the Botanic Gardens to the Met Office in Glasnevin, Violet Hill, the junction of the Ballymun Road and Griffith Avenue, large parts of Finglas, Ballymun, the main road in Drumcondra, parts of Fairview, Clontarf, Raheny, Santry, Killester, Artane, parts of Collins Avenue, parts of Coolock and parts of Darndale and the North Fringe area will also be targeted.

© 2011 The Irish Times

[Catmalojin]

Tropical airflow: temperatures way ahead of last year

GENEVIEVE CARBERY

Tue, Nov 15, 2011



TROPICAL AIR from southern Europe has caused unseasonably high November temperatures.

In Dublin Airport temperatures reached 15 degrees on Sunday, more than double the normal mean November temperatures.

At Valentia Observatory in Co Kerry temperatures reached 17.4 degrees on Sunday, eight degrees above the usual mean temperature.

“A southeast airflow and a tropical air mass from the southern regions, such as Spain, are moving all the way up towards us giving high temperatures,” Met Éireann weather forecaster Harm Luijkx said yesterday.

The first 13 days of the month saw temperatures far above normal with average high temperatures in Dublin of some 13 degrees. Temperatures for Dublin usually stay below 10 degrees in November.

The temperature in Dublin fell to about 10 degrees yesterday due to a mist moving in from the Irish Sea, he said.

The rest of the week is likely to be 10 or 11 degrees “with no cold weather on the horizon” Mr Luijkx said.

At Valentia highest temperatures in the first fortnight averaged 15.5 degrees. This is well ahead of last year’s highest temperature average of 7.4 degrees for the month, which made it the coldest November at Valentia since 1985. Overall November 2010 was the coldest in many parts of the State due to sub-zero temperatures in the last days of the month, when temperatures fell below -6 in many parts.

© 2011 The Irish Times

...

[Catmalojin]

Issued at 04 December 2011 - 16:00

Weather Warning

Sleet and snow showers expected overnight and tomorrow, mainly over Ulster and north Connacht. Moderate accumulations of snow likely, especially over high ground, possibly causing some disruption. Scattered wintry showers elsewhere also, but these light and mainly over high ground.

Valid 1630 Sunday to 1800 Monday.

2-5cm possible in some areas, according to both RTÉ and BBC!

[Catmalojin]

75 Years of Irish Weather
07 December 2011

December 8th marks Met Éireann’s 75th anniversary as Ireland’s National Meteorological Service. On the 8th December 1936, Austen Nagle was appointed as the first Director of the new ‘Irish Meteorological Service’. Until this date, despite the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922, the Meteorological Office in London continued to hold responsibility for forecasts and other weather services in Ireland.

It is no coincidence that both Met Éireann and Aer Lingus celebrate 75 years of service this year. In the mid-1930s, the nascent aviation industry, and especially the transatlantic flying-boat service out of Foynes, increased the demand for a national weather service in general and transatlantic aviation forecasting in particular.

Over the years, Met Éireann staff have maintained a continuous weather watch over Ireland, noting such significant events as the dreadful spring of 1947, the snows of the early ‘60s, the late ‘70s and 2010, the wonderful summers of 1975, 1976 and 1996, and innumerable Atlantic storms of which two ex-hurricanes – Debbie in 1961 and Charley in 1986 – are perhaps the most memorable.

For two-thirds of its 75 year history the Met Éireann weather men and women have been familiar faces and voices on RTÉ. The first televised weather bulletin was aired on Jan 1st 1962, presented by forecaster George Callaghan and the first radio weather bulletin followed some years later in 1968, presented by Paddy MacHugh.

Gerald Fleming (Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann) reflects, “Back in the 1930’s, most people in Ireland did not have a forecast service – many relied on the signs of nature handed down through the generations, which provided some clues of changes in the very short term. Scientific weather forecasting was only in its infancy, but it developed very rapidly through World War II, and got a tremendous boost with the first computer models in the ‘50s and the weather satellites, which came in the ‘60s.”

The iconic building in Glasnevin has been the Headquarters of Met Éireann since 1979. Met Éireann staff are also based at the four state airports, Casement Aerodrome, Belmullet, Co. Mayo, and Valentia Observatory in Caherciveen Co. Kerry, which celebrated 150 years of weather observation last year. The work of this core staff is augmented by the efforts of around 500 voluntary observers who diligently record daily weather observations in almost every parish in the country.

Today Met Éireann, through its links with European and World weather organisations such as EUMETSAT, ECMWF and WMO, and through its expert and specialised staff, offers a world-class forecast service to the Irish public, with reliable weather information out to one week ahead. This weather information is essential to the complex functioning of our modern society and economy.