We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
MET ÉIREANN HAS revealed that it is planning to introduce two new radar locations to its map as part of an upgrade of the country’s entire network in coming years.
The forecaster recently announced that it will upgrade the Shannon Airport rainfall radar, after power failures, overheating and positioning problems caused the country’s “most important” weather radar to go offline for several weeks at a time during 2019.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie before Christmas, Met Éireann’s head of Forecasting Evelyn Cusack said the forecaster expected the replacement radar to be up and running by next year.
“The Shannon Radar was installed in 1996 so technologically wise it’s pretty old at this stage,” she said.
“We are getting a new one, hopefully in the next year because it’s really on its last legs now, so it has been repaired.”
The radar provides coverage of rainfall and wind in south-western counties and is used by Met Éireann as part of its weather forecasts for that part of the country, but it also crucial to reports for the rest of Ireland too.
“It’s extremely important for Met Éireann and for citizens because most of our rain comes in from the Atlantic, so its first detection really is in Shannon,” Cusack explained.
“We’re just praying and hoping that the current repairs will keep Shannon radar alive until we get it replaced.”
She also revealed that the upgrade at Shannon would be one of five new radars across the forecaster’s network.
As well as upgrades to two other radars, Met Éireann will add radars to two new locations in the coming years: one in the north-west and another in the south-east.
“We’re going to get a brand new site in the north-west of Ireland because that’s pretty under represented now,” she said.
“There’s a radar in Caster Bay in the east of Northern Ireland, so we’ve nothing in the northwest so we’ll get an extra one…
“The south-east will get an extra one, a new one at Shannon, a new one in Dublin and then so one more perhaps in the Midlands or to the southwest of Ireland. We’re really excited about that.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I think this is good news and will allow regional variations to be plotted more accurately. This will allow a more forensic and precise warning system. Good luck to Met Eireann in their difficult work in trying to make sense of all possible weather systems rolling in off the Atlantic towards Ireland.
@Kilkenny College: sensible comments on the internet. The world is going to end folks.
@Superguy: With a Kilkenny user-name, what else would you expect?? We’re dead sound around here :)
@Molly1952:
Phil Hogan lads.
@Kilkenny College: wow scientists relying on prayer for an outcome. No wonder they get the warning systems wrong :-D
Praying has no place in proper scientific analysis and hope is not a strategy!
A forecast is just that, it’s a forecast that may or may not be correct, all in all Met Eireann do a great job in pleasing the snowflakes out there.
@Charles Coughlan: Are you for real. Met staff are incompetent idiots and they should all be sacked.
@Jimmy Brandon: why because it didn’t rain at your place the exact time of a warning for the other side of the country
@Jimmy Brandon: I’d say your some man to pontificate at the canteen table. Clown.
@Jimmy Brandon: clown
@Jimmy Brandon:
Foolish comment made from your armchair
OMG, what if we have an hour of drizzle and we’re not notified by the frivolous yellow rain warning?
@Derek Goulding: We are DOOMED
@Derek Goulding: You should try working outdoors, it may help you understand how important accurate forecasting helps keep the country running.
@Mill Lane: I wonder how the country continued to run back in the day before this new fangeled forecasting?
@Mill Lane: By definition, forecasting can never be accurate. It is a indicator of what may or is likely to occur, not what definitely will occur.
@Mill Lane: You obviously don’t work outdoors, forecasting is far from accurate.
Praying! Really?
That explains the dodgey weather warnings in 2019
Looks like rain Ted!
We’ve known for years it wasn’t working. You couldn’t be wrong that often
Was there any response from Met Eireann to the Government report that found the warning system is problematic and needs to be refined. There were plenty of Met Eireann defenders jumping down my throat in recent weeks when I was commenting on the very obvious problems and ‘room for improvement’ in their policy for issuing warnings too frequently and causing confusion by issuing too many / multiple conflicting weather warnings.
@Dave Hammond:
And you would be the first to criticize met eireann if they did not issue a warning that affected you
@Dave Hammond: forecast
/ˈfɔːkɑːst/
verb
predict or estimate (a future event or trend).
“rain is forecast for Scotland”
Similar:
predict
prophesy
prognosticate
augur
divine
foretell
foresee
forewarn
guess
hazard a guess
conjecture
speculate
estimate
calculate
reckon
expect
spae
presage
previse
vaticinate
auspicate
noun
a calculation or estimate of future events, especially coming weather or a financial trend.
@Dave Hammond: David as I said in previous posts if you can do it better then show us , if not give the whining and self righteousness a rest.
@Anna69_xxci: where are your cold ones
Always good when ur scientists are turning to hopes and prayers
Plug n’ pray
How about buying two Sun radars to tell us where the sun is
Met forecast was for a dull and damp weekend:
Friday: A lovely bright, dry crisp day:
Saturday: A lovely bright, dry crisp day:
Sunday: So far it is cloudy and dry.
Those met jokers are in the wrong job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When it breaks scattered showers “ covers itdown
“is there any chance of another Mass Ted”
Dear God, how sad you are!!
have your say