No Sign of Summer

The past week has seen between 40 and 60mm of rain in many parts of Ireland with very little sunshine and it certainly looks like Summer 2011 is going to go down as yet another poor Summer.

The last time there was widespread heat for Summer in Ireland was July 2005 and even then there was a lot of thunderstorms. There was also some warm weather in August 2003 so it would seem that cool Summers are now the norm.

However globally the temperature is rising so how  is it that Ireland is not benefitting?

A lot of it has to do with the Jetstream which has been to the South or over Ireland for the past 6 Summers now. As long as this is the case we will continue to get these cool Summers.

Also as long as it happens in the Winter we will get freezing conditions. Conversely the Polar Sea Ice in the North Pole is at its lowest level for the time of year and may end up at its lowest level ever around the start of September. This can have the effect of altering the climate patterns of the Northern Hemisphere but Scientists are as of yet uncertain exactly how it will affect Ireland.

We are definitely in a period of climate transition in Ireland but it does seem that we are currently in a cool phase of weather and Summer will need to be written off for another year unfortunately.

Very Dry April despite Volcano, Wet Summer?

It has turned out to be a very dry April despite the inconvenience caused by the volcanic ash on the flights in and out of Ireland. The rest of the month should not see too much rain and in any case it will be another drier month than normal. Since that very wet November of Last year we have had a run of drier than normal months. Unfortunately this does not bode well for the Summer although we are promised a lot more dry spells this year. However if an Atlantic pattern develops it could get "stuck" again like the last 3 Summers because more and more we are seeing that in the modern weather the pattern that emerges at the start of the Summer tends to be the one that remains for the rest of the season. Just for the record here is a record of the past few months weather.

NOVEMBER - EXTREMELEY WET 200 TO 300MM

DECEMBER - DRY AND COLD 50 TO 70MM

JANUARY- DRY AND COLD 40 TO 70MM

FEBRUARY - DRY AND COLD 50 TO 80MM

MARCH - SLIGHTLY WETTER 60 TO 90MM

APRIL - EXTREMELY DRY AND MILD 30 TO 60MM

Normally in Ireland after a couple of dry months we get a deluge. I am just afraid that this could happen again this year. The Donegal postman promises dry weather and Ken Ring is also promising a few good weeks. I just think that as I heard one forecaster put it "whatever May brings the Summer will bring the opposite"(who can forget the cold wet May of 1995) But to end on an optimistic note I think that we will surely get one good month in the Summer.