Micro-climates of Ireland

Deep Easterly

After Mothman recording the warmest temperature in Ireland this winter at his station in Ashford, Co. Wicklow the other day, an area that has must have one of the most marked micro-climates in Ireland, I am just wondering if anyone else has noticed any unique traits or peculiarities of their own local climate as compared to the rest of the country or even their own province or county?

The climate here in my own location in NE Co. Galway for example I think is cross between that of the classic west and midlands type, yet can't be really be described as either. Literally stuck between a rock and a hard place so the area misses out on a lot of the bigger weather events that happen elsewhere. Occasionally though, the odd surprise springs up, such as on the 13th June 2009 when it thundered quite intensely for around 8 hours during the afternoon and evening.

Taken around 10pm that evening as another beauty sprung up just to my east. Gave some spectacular fork lightning displays in the evening twilight:



So how would you describe your own local climate?

BEASTERLY

Don't know if it's a micro-climate phenomena or coincidence but I've observed 3 funnels here in June 2008 and 2009 and July 2010. Always during convectional thunderstorms approaching from the west/northwest. Also have quite a marked frost hollow here, can be as much as 3 degrees colder than 2 miles away on still nights. Also seen a hell of a lot of vigorous scuds which seemed to produce very brief and small funnels.

09 funnel:


2010 funnel:




I'm about 15km from the east coast so i wondering if the sea breeze effect is interacting with the air flow to contribute to what seems consistent rotational development over the immediate locality in certain conditions. I would think the sea breeze effect is especially pronounced on days with strong convection?

ZX7R

My back yard seems to have a micro climate of its own:),in fact the row of house's where i live do, for example juring the two cold spell's of recent years the temature reached -16.5 in my local area but me and my neighbours back yards only reached 0 [and during the summer temps reach 34d],but our front gardens where at the low tempature of -16.I know that our back yards are sun spots hope this counts (i can grow tomatos from seed with out pollytunnel).Also the area i live is near the curragh of kildare and we get fog alot more than surounding areas sometimes very tick, even when none is forcasted

Aiel

While i know its more common for islands to have their own Micro Climate i feel i should mention the Aran Islands.Time and time again it will be a beautifull clear sunny day on the islands and when you get back to the mainland they'll tell you it pi**ed rain there all day.

blackius

BEASTERLY wrote: »

Don't know if it's a micro-climate phenomena or coincidence but I've observed 3 funnels here in June 2008 and 2009 and July 2010. Always during convectional thunderstorms approaching from the west/northwest. Also have quite a marked frost hollow here, can be as much as 3 degrees colder than 2 miles away on still nights. Also seen a hell of a lot of vigorous scuds which seemed to produce very brief and small funnels.

09 funnel:


2010 funnel:




I'm about 15km from the east coast so i wondering if the sea breeze effect is interacting with the air flow to contribute to what seems consistent rotational development over the immediate locality in certain conditions. I would think the sea breeze effect is especially pronounced on days with strong convection?

There is a summer time convergence zone in the right conditions from west Wicklow through east carlow down through MT leinster including west wexford.
I've seen many a thunderstorm develop along it over the years.

ednwireland

Deep Easterly wrote: »

So how would you describe your own local climate?

1619mm of rain in 2011 give you one guess :rolleyes:

gbee

Sheltered.

Cork will occasionally enjoy unique weather experiences, but otherwise it enjoys a sheltered charmed weather life.

If a tonne of rain is falling elsewhere, we get a couple of cupfulls, if hurricane force winds are battering the country we get a light breeze.

Wild Bill

By Irish standards - dry and sunny and snowy.

Not especially warm or cold or frosty.

Not as weird as Ashford :cool:

mike65

Waterford Harbour area is a snow free zone.

Harps

Nothing too remarkable about Letterkenny really but I grew up on the west Donegal coast which is obviously very Atlantic dominated. Windy is probably the best word to describe the place, high ground exposed to the south, west and north so its probably one of the windiest places in the country.

With the seemingly increasing tendency for major storms to track off the north coast we're one of the few places to feel the full force of them, the Stephens Day storm in 98 being the most damaging in recent memory.

For other interesting weather, we generally get very few Summer thunderstorms, in recent memory at least the June 09 storms are the only time anything notable has happened with nearly all storms developing from west to east in the past few years. During the winter we tend to fair better with convective storms coming off the Atlantic giving heavy hail showers with the first half of December 11 being a recent highlight

Birdnuts

Erris in North Mayo is probably the best place in the country for Thunderstorms for 2 reasons.

1) PM air outbreaks over the warm sea in winter lead to massive CB's moving in on NWesterly air streams

2) Humid SEasterly airflows leads to high level CB's over Mtns just inland in Summer