Latest news with #MetÉireann
Daily Record
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Record
'Omega Block' to bring long summer heatwave after sizzling May record
The warm and dry weather may be coming to an end but it's not all doom and gloom for the months ahead. The prolonged spell of dry, sunny weather is predicted to end in about a week, with the Met Office forecasting a shift towards cloudier skies and cooler temperatures. Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts because, despite slight variations in the exact timing of the rain's return, the service is pretty confident that the warm weather is due to give way to more unsettled conditions by next weekend. However, it's not all bad news, as weather experts predict that the record-breaking sunshine could continue for most of the summer due to a weather pattern known as an 'omega block'. An Omega Block is most common in spring but can exceptionally persist for months around mid- summer. "Omega blocks... [are] an area of high pressure [that] will be sandwiched in between two lows to the east and west, and also slightly to the south," the Met Office explained. "These blocks frequently occur on the eastern edges of the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, and can lead to easterly flows to the UK. "Usually, weather fronts (which bring rain) move from west to east across the UK, but sometimes they can stay where they are, or even go from east to west, and this is usually due to a 'block'... "In terms of the weather you will get, this means that under the high pressure the weather will remain mainly dry and settled for a few days or perhaps weeks." Met Éireann climatologist Paul Moore said that the recent warm spell is due to the 'Omega Block' weather pattern. As described, this occurs when the North Atlantic jet stream weakens, typically after the Stratospheric Polar Vortex breaks down following a cold winter, reports BelfastLive. While this breakdown usually happens in mid-April, it occurred earlier this year, around the second week of March. And according to the Met Éireann specialist, "the influence of the breakdown of the Stratospheric Polar Vortex on the troposphere can last for two to three months." Moore further explained that this leads to "high pressure [systems] to re-establish over and over again" and indicated that for this summer, it implies "June, July, and August, has a strong signal for higher than average temperatures... during the summer months". Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. The Met Office's long-range forecast, covering Thursday to Saturday, states: "Thursday will most likely be dry with some sunshine and light winds across much of the UK. A few showers are possible, but the majority of places will remain dry. Temperatures during this period are expected to continue being above average for this time of year. "Moving into the bank holiday weekend and the following week, a shift in weather patterns is anticipated. More unsettled conditions are likely to develop, with weather systems moving in from the Atlantic. "This will bring periods of rain to many areas, potentially heavy at times, with a risk of strong winds in places. Drier and brighter intervals are expected between systems. Temperatures will probably be near normal or slightly above."
Dublin Live
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Dublin Live
Ireland summer scorcher as fine weather set to last due to 'Omega Block'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Met Éireann chiefs have forecasted a spell of record-breaking sunshine, predicting it will "stick around for at least another week" and possibly throughout the entire summer. Temperatures are expected to hit 25C again tomorrow, with Met Éireann indicating that the heatwave could last the whole summer, with June, July, and August set to experience "above average temperatures". Today's data from Met Éireann has shown that a third of its weather stations have already reported drought conditions this month, while a quarter are recording their warmest spring ever. Over half the stations have seen the highest mean maximum temperatures for spring on record, and most have enjoyed more sunshine in the first fortnight of May this year than the entirety of May 2024. The weekend is looking hot with forecasts of 25C for both Saturday and Sunday, 23C on Monday, and the days following are expected to range from the "mid-teens to low 20s", as per the national meteorological service, reports the Irish Mirror. Met Éireann's climatologist Paul Moore today shed light on the current sunny spell being due to the Omega Block weather pattern. The Omega Block occurs when the North Atlantic jet stream weakens, often after an early breakdown of the Stratospheric Polar Vortex following a cold winter. Typically collapsing in mid-April, this year it disintegrated a week before St Patrick's Day. Met Eireann's Moore has highlighted the long-term impact of a significant weather event, stating: "The influence of the breakdown of the Stratospheric Polar Vortex on the troposphere can last for two to three months." He further explained that this leads to "high pressure [systems] to re-establish over and over again" which for Ireland means "June, July, and August, has a strong signal for higher than average temperatures for Ireland during the summer months". Paul noted the current sunny conditions, saying: "The current spell of fine weather is due to a blocking area of high pressure over and just to the north of Ireland. This particular type of blocking pattern is called an Omega Block because the jet stream makes a pattern that resembles the Greek letter omega." He also mentioned: "It can be a stable blocking pattern which lasts for an extended period of time and is quite common on the eastern edges of the North Atlantic and North Pacific." With the recent surge in temperatures, Irish Water has issued a call for water conservation to avoid further hosepipe bans. A spokesperson shared with the Irish Mirror: "Uisce Eireann is appealing to everyone to be mindful of their use of water as the warm dry spell looks set to continue through the weekend and into next week. This appeal comes as 22 supplies around the country are officially in drought status." Hosepipe bans loom as three counties – Donegal, Meath, and Westmeath – face Water Conservation Orders until June 16, while Galway's Inis Oirr island is already experiencing water restrictions. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Dublin Live
23-04-2025
- Climate
- Dublin Live
Joanna Donnelly 'running way' at Dublin Airport hours after RTE bombshell
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Weather presenter Joanna Donnelly has joked she is "running away" as she posted a video from Dublin Airport just hours after her shock RTE departure. The popular weather presenter surprised viewers when she ended her Easter Monday night forecast with the announcement that it would be "my last forecast". The 54-year-old concluded her segment on RTE's Nine O'Clock News with a poignant farewell: "And that is my last forecast. Goodnight and goodbye." The following day, the mother of three was seen strolling through the airport alongside her husband. Taking to social media, she said: "We're going away. I'm not around. There's been a lot of people asking me if I'll talk this week. No. We're running away." She promised to "talk when I get back". After arriving home on Monday night, Joanna told her fans: "I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye." Reflecting on her career, she added: "I've been on the weather forecast nearly 10 years I think at this stage between training and being operational." Joanna reminisced about her enjoyable time as a weather presenter and the opportunities it brought her, including her participation in Dancing With The Stars earlier this year, which she "really enjoyed", reports the Irish Mirror. She also celebrated the publication of two books, crediting her role for these achievements: "I've gotten two books as well, which I'm so proud of and I'm so happy to have been given that opportunity." Addressing her departure, she clarified: "I do want to say that my leaving has nothing to do with my work product. I've always given the very best I could possibly give to the weather forecast. So I hope anybody that's wondering what happened, it wasn't the forecast. "I've been with Met Éireann almost 30 years. I started in Met Éireann in August 1995 in the middle of a glorious heatwave. It was a beautiful summer in 1995, you never know, this might portend a good summer for us yet. "The years that I spent before I was a forecaster and then as an early forecaster, as a novice forecaster, with my small children, then my years struggling with infertility and then there was running the charity and then I went on TV." "I've been on TV nearly 10 years and 30 years just went by in the blink of an eye." And now what? I don't know. We'll see. We'll see what happens next. Chapter three." Having joined Met Éireann back in 1995 as a meteorological officer, Joanna later became a meteorologist in 2000. Since February 2002, Joanna has been gracing the airwaves as a forecaster on RTÉ Radio 1. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
