Weather won’t catch you on the hoof with new app
THE decision about whether to pack an umbrella or sunscreen has just been made a little easier, thanks to the launch of seven-day forecasts online for every part of the country by Met Éireann.
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said that the new app will allow people to view seven-day forecasts, including predicted rainfall and temperatures for their local areas, along with the latest weather observations and live rainfall radar images.
Speaking at the launch, he said: “As a nation, we are obsessed with the weather. We are constantly talking about it. We are interested in what is going to be happening. Vitally you will also be able to see the latest weather warnings for your county.”
Met Éireann’s website is one of the most visited public sector sites in the country.
It received 412,000 and 328,000 daily visitors during the peak of Storms Ophelia and Emma respectively.
Head of forecasting Evelyn Cusack (pictured) said for the first time “parish by parish, town by town, village by village, you can get a detailed seven day forecast ahead”. “I’ve worked at Met Éireann over 30 years, and the change has been incredible, which is due to our improved meteorological models,” she commented.
“This weekend, we are predicting temperatures into the mid to high teens, so that is even slightly above average.
“It’s going to be lovely.” However, Met Éireann has also warned online that the warm temperatures could see the possibility of some thundery downpours on Saturday afternoon and into the evening.
Met Éireann utilises the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) based in the UK, which gives forecasts for the week ahead.
Met Éireann director Eoin Moran said it had the “very best forecasting capability worldwide and has been objectively proven in various scientific papers”.
He described the provision of localised forecasts as a “major development”, with the weather information being updated regularly online.