Arctic weather to return to Ireland - SEE POLL & PHOTOS

Reliable weather forecaster predicts long summer

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, January 5, 2011, 5:18 AM

Updated Wednesday, January 5, 2011, 6:23 AM

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Having just recovered from the coldest December on record is seems that Ireland’s taste of Arctic weather is far from over as Met Eireann predicts up to 10 cm (4inches) of snow and temperatures of -1C (30F).

Sleet and rain are expected for the coming days throughout Connacht, Ulster, west Munster and north Leinster. However, by Friday this will turn into a countrywide blanket of snow with “possible drifting”. The wintery showers will continue until next week.

Thankfully a New Zealand forecaster, who reads the moon, Ken Ring, has predicted that Ireland will have a warm summer. Speaking to the Irish Independent he said “There will be a cold first half of January, then, after a very cold second week in March, a mild spring.

"There will be a slow start to a mild summer. However, the good news is there are three lovely fortnights to choose from in the months of May, July and September. July should be the warmest month. Mid-to-late summer and early autumn are likely to be the sunniest in 2011.”

Ring’s predictions are closely followed by Irish farmers and his forecast for 2010 was remarkably accurate. He now does annual long-range forecasts for New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.

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Dompedro | Jan 06, 2011, 01:54 PM EST

The Irish climate is far more influenced by the North Atlantic Oscillation (somewhat analogous to El Nino/La Nina) than by the Gulf Stream. The NAO controls the locations of the Iceland high pressure area and the Azores Low pressure regime. (see mcdolan, below)

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jamieLM | Jan 06, 2011, 12:15 PM EST

The earth has always experienced cyclical changes in climate that have affected the weather. Some of these cycles lasted a lot more than a year or two. Even if this is "global warming," it would take the citizens of EVERY country on the face of the earth making drastic environmental changes to make any real difference. Fat chance of that happening anytime soon. Talk about air pollution - Al Gore is flying around in his private jet. Look at his lifestyle. He's hardly living the "green life."

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mcdolan | Jan 06, 2011, 01:37 AM EST

@sirpeter - Meteorologists say that the cooling of the Atlantic Ocean (the warmer waters that come from the Caribbean) that has given Ireland its moderate climate heretofore is allowing Arctic weather to travel much lower on the globe. Whether this is a normal cyclical event is open to debate. If it stops in another year or two and we return to more moderate weather, then it is cyclical. And if it doesn't and the Atlantic continues to cool, I'd say global warming is a reality. And, no, this is not an oxymoron. Global warming does cause aberrations in weather and not necessarily hotter weather.

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sirpeter | Jan 05, 2011, 10:49 PM EST

Global warming is crap,lets stop talking about it.If you want to know about it..stop watching those stupid videos and study it properly.

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antoman | Jan 05, 2011, 09:43 AM EST

More burst pipes?I best get the baby wipes in.

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luxefaire | Jan 05, 2011, 08:56 AM EST

Odd Weather? Read the book Devilvision, its free online. And here are some explanatory videos: youtube.com/luxefaire...b

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