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Met Éireann forecaster Joanna Donnelly RTÉ

'Pessimistic' alerts and Dublin bias among complaints sent to Met Éireann in 2018

It was an eventful year for Irish forecasters – but the public weren’t always happy with their predictions.

DUBLIN BIAS, NEW graphics and the position of forecasters as they presented the weather on TV were among the hundreds of complaints sent to Met Éireann in 2018.

It was an eventful year for Irish forecasters, when storms Ali and Emma battered the country and the summer saw a record-breaking heatwave, while the national forecaster also launched a new website and app.

However, transcripts of complaints released to TheJournal.ie detail how the public weren’t always happy with Ireland’s meteorological service in the last 12 months.

Complaints ranged from problems with Met Éireann’s predictions, to how the forecaster set alerts for certain weather events, to how the weather was presented on television.

In one complaint in February, a member of the public took issue with the amount of alerts issued by the forecaster.

“Please please please stop issuing weather warnings,” the person wrote.

They are ridiculous. We are an island in the north Atlantic, we know we have to deal with bad weather. Fire the health and safety staff who are making you do it.

According to the forecaster, warnings are issued during severe weather to save lives and protect the livelihoods of Irish citizens, as well as to mitigate damage to property and disturbance to economic activity.

Warnings are issued across three colour codes – yellow, orange and red from least- to most-severe - whenever weather conditions meeting certain thresholds are anticipated within a 48-hour period.

Hazards for which the forecaster issues the warnings include wind, rain, snow, low temperatures, high temperatures, fog, thunderstorms and coastal wind warnings.

Beast from the East

In April, another person called Met Éireann’s forecasters “total incompetents” for giving what the complainant believed was an inaccurate short-term forecast.

“On the RTÉ 6.1 news yesterday, your graphics showed Dublin dry and overcast,” they said.

“This was just 12 hours beforehand. It rained non stop relentlessly from 6am til 3pm. How can u [sic] get such a short-range forecast so disastrously wrong?”

In late February, Storm Emma met a cold Siberian front dubbed the ‘Beast from the East’, a rare phenomenon that blanketed the country in snow and brought Ireland to a standstill.

The storm formed on 26 February, and the public listened in to warnings of its impending impact for days, before a national Status Red warning was issued on 28 February.

But not everyone was happy with Met Éireann’s coverage, with dozens of people writing to the forecaster between 27 February and 1 March, the day the storm finally struck.

On 1 March, one person accused the forecaster of “creating a sense of crisis” by overestimating the effect of bad weather, accusing Met Éireann of always being “biased towards the most pessimistic scenarios”.

Ireland: Snow Storm named 'Beast from the East' hits Ireland People pass by Patrick Kavanagh's statue near the Grand Canal in Dublin during a snow shower during Storm Emma. SIPA USA / PA Images SIPA USA / PA Images / PA Images

The previous day, a number of individuals contacted the forecaster to complain about the opposite problem, as people from Offaly, Donegal, Cork, Monaghan, Kilkenny, Laois, Cavan and Westmeath complained that a higher warning should have been issued for those counties.

Meanwhile, an individual from Northern Ireland also contacted the forecaster on 1 March to complain about Met Éireann’s lack of coverage of weather across the border.

“There seems to be a suggestion that the snow stops at Louth, and then miraculously starts again in Donegal,” they wrote.

Are we in a non-place? Are we not in Ireland? Does the ‘Éireann’ in your title not include us? I expect this from those of a British disposition here, but I expect better from a national body such as yours.”
Northern Ireland’s weather forecasts are covered by the UK Met Office, while Met Éireann covers forecasts for the Republic of Ireland only.

‘Young and innocent’

Other complaints over the course of the year reveal that Storm Emma wasn’t the only weather event to cause a stir among the public during 2018.

When Storm Ali struck on 19 September, a number of complainants wrote to Met Éireann over its decision not to upgrade its Status Orange warning for the storm.

“Thousands of houses without electricity and not to mention the young and innocent walking to school this morning and limbs of trees flying passed [sic] them,” said one person, who wanted to know why a Status Red alert was not issued.

We live in Tralee and this morning it was unreal, 10 times worse than when Ophelia hit,” said another person.

On 11 October, one complainant wrote to the forecaster asking for a Status Red alert to be issued for Storm Callum.

“Please don’t leave it too late to call it red,” they said. “Half of my classroom ceiling collapsed … two weeks ago, please do not put peoples life’s [sic] in danger.”

Autumn weather Sep 19th 2018 Workmen deal with fallen trees in Dublin during Storm Ali PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

But it wasn’t just bad weather that led to complaints from the public this year.

The summer heatwave – when Ireland experienced drought conditions and saw the highest June temperature recorded in over 40 years – also caused individuals to complain to the forecaster.

“We had been warned just a couple of days ago about the stormy, very heavy wet conditions for this weekend,” one person wrote on 4 August.

“Now all seems to have changed.”

Another person accused Met Éireann of offering “false hope” by forecasting rain across the country on 19 August.

“All my farming neighbours were praying that yesterday’s forecast just might happen,” they said. “Not a drop.”

‘Waste of money’

Earlier in the year, a change in graphics used by Met Éireann’s on its television forecasts also led to a number of complaints from Irish weather watchers.

In January, several complainants wrote to say that the colours used in the new graphics made them difficult to read.

“The new-look maps on the TV weather forecasts look very nice,” one person said. “However, it’s quite difficult to see the positive temperatures which are in the green circles.”

“It is much worse than the previous version,” wrote another. “A waste of whatever money it cost. In particular the higher temperatures shown in yellow are unreadable.”

Other aspects of Met Éireann’s television forecasts to rile viewers during the year included the lack of an interactive forecast for the whole country, the length of forecasts, and where presenters stood when explaining the forecast.

Why do your presenters always stand in front of the [northwest] of Spain, hiding the Coruna area and temps?” one person wrote in February. “Could they stand to the side?”

One viewer’s problem, however, was more localised.

“Why is Dublin given a separate forecast?” they asked. “It is not a province merely a county.”

Details of the complaints received by Met Éireann this year were released to TheJournal.ie under the Freedom of Information Act.

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40 Comments
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    Mute John
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    Dec 26th 2018, 9:03 PM

    ‘Dublin bias’…..first world problems for our country cousins.

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    Mute Luke Lee
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    Dec 26th 2018, 9:12 PM

    @John: To be fair, Tralee could be classed as third world.

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    Mute Michael Connick
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    Dec 26th 2018, 9:16 PM

    @John: it’s just a symptom of a wider problem. Dublin have a bias when it comes to transport ie Dublin based tds and ministers moving forward with licensing laws but no public transportstp back it up outside of Dublin.

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    Mute Vocal Outrage
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    Dec 26th 2018, 9:35 PM

    @Michael Connick: there was an issue a while back whereby the forecasters consistently stood in front of the West coast while presenting the forecast, thus obscuring much of the forecast West of Athlone. Not a Dublin bias, but an east coast one, and as the West typically has the worst weather and most trawlers operating off the West coast, a dangerous one

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    Mute John
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    Dec 26th 2018, 9:55 PM

    @Michael Connick: to be fair, the majority of tds in ‘Dublin’ are from the country, even most of the tds in my area are from the country.most people from the country think it’s a vendetta against them but it’s not(it’s just changing archaic laws)I understand that transport is non existent in the country but when pubs close in Dublin there is no public transport so we have to relied on taxis and friends not drinking.also last point where would you start and end with ‘public’ transport in the country, it would never be enough and it would be soooooo inefficient.

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    Mute Nicholas Lynch
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    Dec 26th 2018, 10:45 PM

    @Vocal Outrage:Definitely not true re fishing . The South and South East have most fishing activity . Very little winter fishing off West coast. Any one with acces to AIS will confirm this

    17
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    Mute Gerry Mander
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    Dec 26th 2018, 11:38 PM

    @John: They don’t seem to realize that the population of Dublin is as big as any province, so its target audience deserve detail specific to that area.

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    Mute Lily Martin
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    Dec 27th 2018, 1:51 AM

    @Luke Lee: How so?

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    Mute Conor Kleaver
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    Dec 27th 2018, 9:53 AM

    @John: no Shannon water for the durty duns

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    Mute Julie Grey
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    Dec 27th 2018, 10:29 AM

    @Luke Lee: Why?

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    Mute Genius 80s+
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    Dec 26th 2018, 9:14 PM

    That country chip on the shoulders must be a considerable size at this stage.

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    Mute Nick Caffrey
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    Dec 27th 2018, 7:03 AM

    @Genius 80s+: Or is it the “white privilege” sense that Dubliners have towards their rural fellow citizens?

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    Mute IRL77
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    Dec 27th 2018, 8:52 AM

    @Nick Caffrey: and the thin skin that culchies have appears to be getting weaker everyday…..surely removing all blowins from dublin is the only solution and then they can moan away to their hearts content without us having to listen to them.

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    Mute Conor Kleaver
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    Dec 27th 2018, 9:54 AM

    @IRL77: what do a jackeen call a culchie in work. BOSS

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    Mute IRL77
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    Dec 27th 2018, 3:00 PM

    @Conor Kleaver: only if he was a traveller!

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    Mute In my opinion
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    Dec 26th 2018, 9:27 PM

    It seems Met Eireann is damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t

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    Mute Dow Dubrov
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    Dec 26th 2018, 10:00 PM

    @In my opinion: in fairness they always seem to report the worst case scenario which rarely happens

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    Mute Dow Dubrov
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    Dec 26th 2018, 10:24 PM

    @kellser1977: I recommend you don’t drive until April

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    Mute Nicholas Lynch
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    Dec 26th 2018, 10:46 PM

    @kellser1977: We could just build bunkers

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Dec 26th 2018, 11:54 PM

    @Dow Dubrov: that’s the point. It’s a warning system. If it’s wrong and you’re suitably prepared you’d be mildly annoyed but if they forecast glorious sunshine and it’s torrential rain you’d be way more pi$$ed off

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    Mute Darren Davis
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    Dec 26th 2018, 9:16 PM

    The rain always seems to favour the west of Ireland. It’s so racist

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    Mute James Keogh
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    Dec 26th 2018, 11:16 PM

    Yellow, Orange and Red alert, they all count but the worst of them all is the “ROSS” BLUE ALERT, The Social glass of mulled wine is driving motorists up and down highways and byways. The Christmas morning drink in the Local where you got your Pint on the Publican and left a donation to support a Local Charity, GONE ! The day of having the “Living Alone” relative over for Christmas, GONE ! Too dangerous to drop them home after your glass of wine at the dinner. Christmas Cheer is dead for those isolated from Villages and Towns their freedom gone, taken by “Ross” and he should dwell on the thought that with ISOLATION comes Suicide and this may, if facts be known account for more deaths than those caused by Drink Driving. Just a thought to mull over during this Festive Season.

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    Mute Michael Kavanagh
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    Dec 26th 2018, 11:57 PM

    @James Keogh:
    Are you some sort of Vintnerbot?

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    Mute Nick Caffrey
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    Dec 27th 2018, 7:06 AM

    @James Keogh: Better to mull over why nothing can be enjoyed unless accompanied by alcohol. Neurotic perhaps?

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    Mute Micheal McGee
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    Dec 26th 2018, 10:11 PM

    I’m not interested in ‘Pessimistic’ alerts and Dublin bias…I just want to see more of Jean Byrne…

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    Mute Seriously stunned
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    Dec 26th 2018, 11:25 PM

    New Year’s resolution for you met Eireann.give us a warning when there’s a need.not every time there s a feckin leaf blowing across road.

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    Mute prop joe
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    Dec 26th 2018, 11:03 PM

    The forecast is always vague by Met Eireann. TV3 have a DJ doing the weather and its more accurate.

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    Mute The Red Devil
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    Dec 27th 2018, 12:41 AM

    Problem solved we have a Met Ath Cliath and A Met Éireann for everyone else

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    Mute Philip Farrell
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    Dec 27th 2018, 6:56 AM

    @The Red Devil: Aren’t you from Manchester?

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Dec 26th 2018, 10:38 PM

    Every time there is a wind warning they now close the parks in Dunlaoghaire rathdown, Marley, Cabinteely etc. it’s ridiculous

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    Mute Bríd Uí Mhaoluala
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    Dec 26th 2018, 10:42 PM

    @Martin Sinnott: Blamd the litigation happy locals and judges who make ridiculous awards .

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    Mute Nicholas Lynch
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    Dec 26th 2018, 10:47 PM

    @Martin Sinnott: It is OPW , do you think they need much of an excuse

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    Mute The_Muffin_Man
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    Dec 27th 2018, 1:56 AM

    There’s always someone ready to complain

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    Mute brendan fitzsimons
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    Dec 26th 2018, 11:14 PM

    Problem is that in terms of windiness, sunshine and rainfall the weather itself is biased against the rest of Ireland and especially the Wesht!

    Dublin is the driest and (bar SE Wexford) the sunniest part of Ireland. Live with it.

    The only way ME could hide reality would be to tell lies….

    15
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    Mute Nicholas Grubb
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    Dec 27th 2018, 8:26 AM

    For years down country it was always well known that ” you could only get good weather from Paddy McHugh”.
    But back on the subject, in my Google News, I constantly see headlines from the tabloid press, warning of the most extreme of weather events about to occur. I for my amusement then click on my Met Eireann icon, to discover there is nothing of the sort about to occur. Where are these media getting their totally exaggerated headliners from and if this the standard of their weather forecasting, what then is their standard of news reporting.? I suspect more of the same. Absolute rubbish.

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    Mute Brian Jones
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    Dec 27th 2018, 2:23 AM

    Joanna is way too much of a dote. That would be my biggest weather concern

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    Mute John Flood
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    Dec 27th 2018, 9:53 AM

    Read “The Fifth Risk” and learn how people react to weather forecasts, especially warnings.

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    Mute muckwarrior
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    Dec 28th 2018, 11:12 AM

    @Nicholas Grubb: Forecast computers can come up with many different prediction ‘models’, ranging from highly unlikely to very likely scenarios. Of course the tabloid rags choose to report on the most extreme predictions, even though they know that statistically they’re highly unlikely to occur. I usually block these sources from my news feed.

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    Mute Michael MC Evoy
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    Dec 28th 2018, 9:19 AM

    Stop moaning. People have complained in the past about no warnings. Met eireann do a great job and I find their forecasting very accurate. very

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    Mute Mr Mystery
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    Dec 27th 2018, 2:50 PM

    We had a storm over the west coast last year and Dublin got hit worst

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