Met Éireann
Encyclopedia
Met Éireann is the national meteorological
service in Ireland
, part of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
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The history of modern meteorology in Ireland dates back to 8 October 1860, when the first weather observations were transmitted from Valentia Observatory on Valentia Island
in County Kerry
to the British Meteorological Office
. A network of weather stations was established around the coasts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
.
Following Irish independence
in 1922, the Irish Free State
continued to rely on the British Met Office for weather services, and the Met Office continued to administer the weather stations around Ireland. With the advent of transatlantic air services in the 1930s, it was decided that Ireland needed its own weather service to provide detailed aviation weather reports.
In 1936, the Irish Meteorological Service was set up with its headquarters in St. Andrew's Street, Dublin. In 1937 it took over the network of weather stations from the British Met Office. On the date of transfer, the Irish weather observation network consisted of the following stations:
At first, the new weather service was bolstered by Met Office employees seconded from London, but by 1941 they were able to depend on their own resources. During the Emergency (as the Second World War
was referred to in neutral Ireland
), the Irish Meteorological Service supplied the Allies
with weather information despite Ireland's neutrality. The decision to go ahead with the D-day landings was made following a favourable weather report from the Blacksod Point weather station in County Mayo
.
The service expanded rapidly in the post-war years, with its headquarters relocating to O'Connell Street
in Dublin. The service began supplying forecasts to Radio Éireann
from 1948, to daily newspapers from 1952, to television from shortly after the first Radio Telefís Éireann
television broadcasts in 1962, and recorded telephone forecasts in the 1960s. Ireland joined the World Meteorological Organisation in the 1950s, and was a founder member of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
in 1975 and EUMETSAT in 1983.
In 1979, the service moved to new purpose-built premises in Glasnevin
, Dublin, and in 1996 it was renamed to Met Éireann.
weather model for short-term forecasts (up to 48 hours). This model is developed cooperatively by multiple European weather services. Met Éireann runs a 10km resolution HIRLAM model four times daily. The operational running of this model has been managed by ICHEC
since 2005. Met Éireann and ICHEC
are working on bring a 5km resolution HIRLAM model into production by the end of 2010.
For medium-term forecasts (between 48 hours and 7 days), Ireland, along with 17 other European countries, relies on forecasts provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
in the United Kingdom
.
The service also runs many more automated observation stations around the country, including -
and Europe
, aviation forecasting is an important part of Met Éireann's work. In 2005, the service received payments of €7.8 million from the Eurocontrol air traffic control authority. Aviation weather offices are located at Casement Aerodrome
, Cork Airport, Dublin Airport
, Knock Airport and Shannon Airport
.
, the director of Met Éireann is Liam Campbell. According to the Met Éireann annual report for 2005, the service had a budget of €
20.6 million for that year.
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
service in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, part of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
History
Valentia Island
Valentia Island is one of Ireland's westernmost points, lying off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry, Ireland. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial bridge at Portmagee, as well as by a ferry which sails from Reenard Point to Knightstown, the island's...
in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
to the British Meteorological Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
. A network of weather stations was established around the coasts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
.
Following Irish independence
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
in 1922, the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
continued to rely on the British Met Office for weather services, and the Met Office continued to administer the weather stations around Ireland. With the advent of transatlantic air services in the 1930s, it was decided that Ireland needed its own weather service to provide detailed aviation weather reports.
In 1936, the Irish Meteorological Service was set up with its headquarters in St. Andrew's Street, Dublin. In 1937 it took over the network of weather stations from the British Met Office. On the date of transfer, the Irish weather observation network consisted of the following stations:
- Valentia Observatory, then the only permanently manned weather station
- 4 telegraphic stations (at Malin HeadMalin HeadMalin Head , on the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal, is usually given as the most northerly headland of the mainland of Ireland . In fact, the most northerly point is actually a headland named Banba's Crown on the Inishowen Peninsula about 2 km to the northeast...
, Blacksod Point, Roches Point and BirrBirrBirr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
) - 18 climatological stations
- 172 rainfall stations
At first, the new weather service was bolstered by Met Office employees seconded from London, but by 1941 they were able to depend on their own resources. During the Emergency (as the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was referred to in neutral Ireland
Irish neutrality
Ireland has a "traditional policy of military neutrality". In particular, Ireland remained neutral during World War II, and has never been a member of NATO or the Non-Aligned Movement. The formulation and justification of the neutrality policy has varied over time...
), the Irish Meteorological Service supplied the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
with weather information despite Ireland's neutrality. The decision to go ahead with the D-day landings was made following a favourable weather report from the Blacksod Point weather station in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
.
The service expanded rapidly in the post-war years, with its headquarters relocating to O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...
in Dublin. The service began supplying forecasts to Radio Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
from 1948, to daily newspapers from 1952, to television from shortly after the first Radio Telefís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
television broadcasts in 1962, and recorded telephone forecasts in the 1960s. Ireland joined the World Meteorological Organisation in the 1950s, and was a founder member of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts is an independent intergovernmental organisation supported by 19 European Member States and 15 Co-operating States...
in 1975 and EUMETSAT in 1983.
In 1979, the service moved to new purpose-built premises in Glasnevin
Glasnevin
Glasnevin is a largely residential neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland.-Geography:A mainly residential neighbourhood, it is located on the Northside of the city of Dublin . It was originally established on the northern bank of the River Tolka...
, Dublin, and in 1996 it was renamed to Met Éireann.
Forecasting methodology
Met Éireann uses the HIRLAMHIRLAM
HIRLAM, the High Resolution Limited Area Model, is a Numerical Weather Prediction forecast system developed by the international HIRLAM programme.-Consortium:...
weather model for short-term forecasts (up to 48 hours). This model is developed cooperatively by multiple European weather services. Met Éireann runs a 10km resolution HIRLAM model four times daily. The operational running of this model has been managed by ICHEC
Irish Centre for High-End Computing
The Irish Centre for High-End Computing is a distributed national centre providing support for research in high-performance computing and computational science in the Republic of Ireland. ICHEC was established in 2005 and is jointly funded by Science Foundation Ireland and the Higher Education...
since 2005. Met Éireann and ICHEC
Irish Centre for High-End Computing
The Irish Centre for High-End Computing is a distributed national centre providing support for research in high-performance computing and computational science in the Republic of Ireland. ICHEC was established in 2005 and is jointly funded by Science Foundation Ireland and the Higher Education...
are working on bring a 5km resolution HIRLAM model into production by the end of 2010.
For medium-term forecasts (between 48 hours and 7 days), Ireland, along with 17 other European countries, relies on forecasts provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts is an independent intergovernmental organisation supported by 19 European Member States and 15 Co-operating States...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Observing stations
- BelmulletBelmulletBelmullet is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of around 2,000 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. Its name means the "mouth of the mullet"...
, County MayoCounty MayoCounty Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
. - BallyhaiseBallyhaise-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland* List of Market Houses in Ireland...
, County CavanCounty CavanCounty Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
. - Gurteen, Co. Tipperary.
- ClaremorrisClaremorrisClaremorris , is a town in County Mayo in the west of Ireland, at the junction of the N17 and the N60 national routes. The population of Claremoris in the 2011 Census was 3,979....
, County MayoCounty MayoCounty Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552... - Roches Point, County CorkCounty CorkCounty Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. - Sherkin IslandSherkin IslandSherkin Island, historically called Inisherkin , lies southwest of County Cork in Ireland alongside other islands of Roaringwater Bay. It had a population of 106 people at the time of the 2006 Census, measures 3 miles long by 1.5 miles wide...
, County CorkCounty CorkCounty Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. - Mace Head, County GalwayCounty GalwayCounty Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
. - BallyhaiseBallyhaise-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland* List of Market Houses in Ireland...
, Co. Cavan. - Oak Park, Carlow, Co. Carlow.
- Malin HeadMalin HeadMalin Head , on the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal, is usually given as the most northerly headland of the mainland of Ireland . In fact, the most northerly point is actually a headland named Banba's Crown on the Inishowen Peninsula about 2 km to the northeast...
, County DonegalCounty DonegalCounty Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county... - MullingarMullingarMullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
, County WestmeathCounty Westmeath-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar... - Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford.
- Valentia Observatory, CahirciveenCahirciveenCahersiveen —alternate spellings Cahirsiveen, Cahirciveen or Caherciveen—is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is located on the Iveragh Peninsula near Valentia Island. Cahersiveen is connected to the Irish road network by the N70 national secondary route...
, County KerryCounty KerryKerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
The service also runs many more automated observation stations around the country, including -
- Moorepark, FermoyFermoyFermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
, County CorkCounty CorkCounty Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. - GrangeGrange-Buildings:* Grange House , Bo'ness, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906* Hamilton Grange National Memorial, a historic house in New York City...
, Dunsany, County MeathCounty MeathCounty Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. - Mount Dillon, County LongfordCounty LongfordCounty Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
. - Markree CastleMarkree CastleMarkree Castle, in Collooney, County Sligo, Ireland is the ancestral seat of the Cooper family, partially moated by the River Unshin. Today it is a small family-run hotel.-17th century:...
, County Sligo. - Finner Camp, County DonegalCounty DonegalCounty Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. - AthenryAthenryAthenry is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry".-History:...
, County GalwayCounty GalwayCounty Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
.
Aviation forecasting
As Ireland is strategically located on the busy air routes between North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, aviation forecasting is an important part of Met Éireann's work. In 2005, the service received payments of €7.8 million from the Eurocontrol air traffic control authority. Aviation weather offices are located at Casement Aerodrome
Casement Aerodrome
Casement Aerodrome or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole base of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes...
, Cork Airport, Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
, Knock Airport and Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
.
, the director of Met Éireann is Liam Campbell. According to the Met Éireann annual report for 2005, the service had a budget of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
20.6 million for that year.