IRISH HEATWAVES WILL BE THE NORM
Fire crew at Tollymore THIS summer’s searing heatwave could become the norm in Ireland in just 30 years, climatologists believe.
Experts added extreme conditions, including exceptionally wet winters, storms, hurricanes and droughts, are likely to become more frequent.
And they told of their fears unless we do more to tackle global warming.
Maynooth University’s Prof John Sweeney said: “We’ve seen a sequence of extreme weather events in recent years, including Hurricane Ophelia late last year, the Beast From The East a few months ago and this current drought. I think it’s generally accepted extremes of climate are some of the long-term changes that are taking place.
“Everywhere in the country today is half a degree warmer than it was 30 years ago, and we expect over the next 20 years we will warm by a further half degree or maybe even by as much as one degree over the next 30 years. It’s not a certainty but a probability that climate extremes will increase as time goes on.”
He pinpointed changes to the jet stream – the flow of high-altitude air that governs our weather – as the major factor behind the ongoing hot spell.
Prof Sweeney said: “The jet stream is
ENJOY the warm conditions today – because the brollies will have to be out by the weekend.
Temperatures will slump to 14C tomorrow as rain showers move across Ireland in a much-needed break to the drought.
Today will be another sunny day after a cloudy start with highs of 21C before the floodgates open in the evening.
Met Eireann said: “Outbreaks of rain on Friday night, with potentially a few heavy falls in eastern and northern areas.” like a curtain rail in terms of how affects the weather.
“And there are signs it has become weaker, enabling extreme weather events to develop.”
Similar warnings have been made by climatologists in the UK, which is having its hottest summer since 1976, with parts of the country without rain since late May.
Dr Peter Stott told the BBC: “The sort of temperatures we’re seeing could become the norm in only 30 years or so.
“The trajectory of the climate depends very much on whether mankind continues to increase emissions.” it