Who else thinks it's autumn already?

[Paulone]

Yesterday I was out and about at about 6:30-7pm in south west Dublin and got caught in the evening wind and rain. It was quite chilly and autumnal-feeling.

Later, I saw the weather forecast and it was quoting temperatures of up to 18C for various parts of the country.

Now, there's no point in ranting about our weather, but it struck me that while the leaves aren't on the turn, the actual temperature on the skin was about 10-11C at the most - I felt sorry for the shivering group of shorts-clad Spanish students and for two small children out with their mum who were quite clearly freezing.

If this keeps up, then I consider we're getting our autumn in July this year - anyone in agreement?

I also think that MetEireann should be doing wind-chill temperatures alongside the regular temperature all year round - not just for a few days in the depths of the dark three-quarters of the year. In a country where you can nearly be cut in two by the wind, this seems purely logical?

 

[csirl]

It's Autumn next Saturday - start of August.

 

[Mpsox]

nope, seems more like early winter to me, dark dreary and wet

 

[Paulone]

I think it's 'meterological summer' until the end of August rather than the start?

With the variability in Irish weather, I'm not sure the definitions of the seasons as applied by meterology have much relevance to us on a day to day basis.

This would be unlike other countries such as those round the Med, which I think get what we would describe as 'summer weather' for about eight or nine months of the year?

 

[Caveat]

I think it's 'meterological summer' until the end of August rather than the start?

Exactly.

And 'meterological' should be all that matters really. Very few countries consider August part of Autumn like Ireland does. Drives me nuts TBH.

 

[liaconn]

I think most people consider August to be still Summer, we're just aware that 'technically' it's Autumn. In the same way that, even though I know February is meant to be the beginning of Spring, I still consider it to be Winter.

I agree, though, that this Summer has had a distinctly Autumnal feel to it. Am I imagining that the evenings have been getting darker that bit earlier than usual?

 

[Caveat]

I think most people consider August to be still Summer, we're just aware that 'technically' it's Autumn.

ARRGGGHHHH NO!!!

It's the other way round!!

 

[Vanilla]

ARRGGGHHHH NO!!!

It's the other way round!!

LOL. I make this mistake all the time, driving my husband round the bend ( he's one of those 'foreigners').

I also used to mix up afternoon and evening but he complained until, eventually, I had enough of the

 

[gebbel]

Now, there's no point in ranting about our weather

Of course there is! That's what this forum is here for! Our "summers" are getting worse and worse. We get a week or a week and a half of normal summer weather in May and the rest is brutal. I was hoping to have a few mates around for a BBQ this weekend...the BBQ I bought 2 summers ago and have used twice. One of my worst ever purchases! I know it's hopeless ranting about our weather but jeez it really is atrocious.

 

[callybags]

And what are the government doing about this?

as usual.... nothing.

 

[Caveat]

and what are the government doing about this?

As usual.... Nothing.

Very good!

 

[Teatime]

I can never understand how much we complain about the weather in Ireland. Especially in summer. I personally think the weather here is almost perfect. The main advantage we have here is LIGHT. Its bright until nearly 11pm at the height of summer. Thats class ! We can remain outdoors until 11pm. In terms of temperature I am happy once its above freezing and its below 25C. Anything over 25C and I get sweaty, tired and cranky very easily. I think a lot of Irish are the same.We also find it very heard to sleep on warm nights. Its usually very mild here with no extremes of weather like they get in NY or Stockholm. My favourite days are the blue sky winter morning where it feels fresh and clean.
RAIN. Yes we get a lot of rain but its not always raining. I often hear people talking about what was on TV the previous evening while the sun was shining and yet complaining that they cant do anything the next evening cos of the rain.
Its about TIMING and ADAPTABILITY.
We know what to expect and the changeability etc - our weather forecasters are fairly accurate these days.
There are also activities that can be done equally well in the rain as in the dry and we have rain-gear now which is excellent for outdoor activities all year round. Rain doesn't hurt.
For example I love kayaking in the rain, going for forest walks in the rain, fishing in the rain, dancing, singing in the rain, hill-walkin in the rain (with a GPS!), playing soccer in the rain, running in the rain, standing naked in a field full of thistles in the rain, golfing in the rain, splashing in puddles in the rain, swimming in the sea in the rain.......
And I also love being indoors in the rain, beside a nice pub fire with a tasty pint in my hand. Especially in winter. And especially if you have earned it by being out in the rain beforehand...

We would not have our beatifully lush landscape without the rain. I lived in Brisbane and I did everything I could to stay out of the sun. The humidity was a shocker and it got dark at 7/8pm at the height of summer. And everything was bone dry. No comparison to the Emerald Isle.

For me, there are 2 seasons - the Light season and the Dark season. We are over half way thru the light season. It now gets dark at around 10pm as opposed to 4pm in the middle of the dark season December/January.
Sure it rains and sure its windy during both these seasons but the Light season gives me way more options. And despite people's preconceptions, it does not rain all the time - according to meteireann: "The general impression is that it rains quite a lot of the time in Ireland but in fact two out of three hourly observations will not report any measurable rainfall".
You just need to adapt. Buying wet gear helps.

In my mind, most of the people that complain about the weather are the folks that would prefer to watch CSI than go outside on wonderful summers evenings. They often use the weather as an excuse.

 

[Paulone]

There are summertime people and there are wintertime people...

The main advantage we have here is LIGHT

I had the kitchen lights on at 7.30pm last evening it had got so dark! I heard that the lack of bright light caused by constant cloud cover and weaker sunshine is the reason that a lot of continental plants don't grow here!

Its usually very mild here with no extremes of weather like they get in NY or Stockholm.

Just extremely, lung-destroyingly, arthritically damp - the climate is perfect for slugs and snails and worms - I read once that worms can almost be classified as freshwater creatures because they need to be constantly wet... much like the rest of us end up.

There are also activities that can be done equally well in the rain as in the dry and we have rain-gear now which is excellent for outdoor activities all year round. Rain doesn't hurt

provided there is the ability or equipment immediately to hand to get dry and warm again quickly after the activity has finished, otherwise the body is at risk of going hypothermic (particularly in the wind and rain) or reduce the ability to fight off virus infection - such as when walking round in damp clothes next to the skin. That used to kill our ancestors.

For example I love... running in the rain

I don't mind that either, but my running shoes do - have had to get another pair to use the next time while the first ones are drying out. I find my shoes start to rot after a while - yuck!

I also love being indoors in the rain, beside a nice pub fire with a tasty pint in my hand

that's not much use for an energetic but bored 2-year-old who is literally climing the walls with frustration because he can't get outside because everything is either muddy, damp or wet - and its too cold.

I did everything I could to stay out of the sun

I went to Spain and did everything that I could to get into the sun (having checked out my moles with the Doc beforehand). It was 37C and absolutely fantastic - couldn't get enough, lifted the soul.

For me, there are 2 seasons - the Light season and the Dark season

- I've been telling people I met in Spain that Ireland has no summer - not like they would know summer anyway. Some of them find that hard to believe... as we sat at 11pm outside on a balmy night having some drinks. One guy who had been to Ireland said he felt sorry for the people here having to live so much inside.

I'm getting from the consensus of posts that meterological summer or not, autumn has started...

 

[coleen]

yes I agree with Paulone it does have an autumn feel already. But like teatime says we are lucky to have such light and I am a very outdoors person hillwalking golf etc and meet people who say wasnt today awful and I would say I played golf /walked for 4-5 hours and had only 2 showers. It is worse when you sit inside and watch it. I have a friend who golfs with me she is from south america and she says all that is wrong with us is that we are dressed wrong. We went golfing yesterday and some of us turned up in t - shirts and either shorts or cropped pants and she says this is crazy. We have the idea that because it is July we dress as if we live in Portugal. I am learning form her to have plenty of warm clothes and wet grear and then all is fine. We were out for 5 hours yesterday and while we got a few showers and 1 heavy one we had our wet gear on and like teatime says we had the joy of sitting afterwards with and Irish Coffee to warm us up. I work with children and use every oppertunity to take them outside and when properly wrapped up they really benfit from it even if you only get 30mins out with them. So we need to change our thinking and remember this is not spain so winter or summer plenty of warm clothes and get outside. It has a feel good factor!

 

[csirl]

Its usually very mild here with no extremes of weather like they get in NY or Stockholm.

I'd much prefer to have a climate with extremes of weather. The extremes are the fun bits. Would be wonderful to have warm sunshine for 6 months of the year and nice crisp fluffy snow for the other 6 months. You can enjoy both of these weathers a lot more than the damp cold that we endure all year around. We never get any fun weather

 

[Teatime]

There are summertime people and there are wintertime people...


I had the kitchen lights on at 7.30pm last evening it had got so dark! I heard that the lack of bright light caused by constant cloud cover and weaker sunshine is the reason that a lot of continental plants don't grow here!


Just extremely, lung-destroyingly, arthritically damp - the climate is perfect for slugs and snails and worms - I read once that worms can almost be classified as freshwater creatures because they need to be constantly wet... much like the rest of us end up.


provided there is the ability or equipment immediately to hand to get dry and warm again quickly after the activity has finished, otherwise the body is at risk of going hypothermic (particularly in the wind and rain) or reduce the ability to fight off virus infection - such as when walking round in damp clothes next to the skin. That used to kill our ancestors.

I don't mind that either, but my running shoes do - have had to get another pair to use the next time while the first ones are drying out. I find my shoes start to rot after a while - yuck!

that's not much use for an energetic but bored 2-year-old who is literally climing the walls with frustration because he can't get outside because everything is either muddy, damp or wet - and its too cold.

I went to Spain and did everything that I could to get into the sun (having checked out my moles with the Doc beforehand). It was 37C and absolutely fantastic - couldn't get enough, lifted the soul.

- I've been telling people I met in Spain that Ireland has no summer - not like they would know summer anyway. Some of them find that hard to believe... as we sat at 11pm outside on a balmy night having some drinks. One guy who had been to Ireland said he felt sorry for the people here having to live so much inside.

I'm getting from the consensus of posts that meterological summer or not, autumn has started...

What exactly can you do in 37C? I personally would fall apart in that heat. I am not a sun-worshipper by any means.

Sounds to me like you have poor wet gear - to echo coleen, with the right wet gear and suitable inner layers, there should be no fear of getting hypothermic during an Irish summer.

 

[Graham_07]

Light isn't enough, it can be light from 7.30am to 11.00pm but if it's cold and miserable then I'm grumpy. Sunshine, ( not necessarily 37 deg altho' I wouldn't object to it ) gives a feel-good factor. Being able to walk or just sit out on a summer evening with a BBQ & a book improves the mind/spirit/mood whatever. I'd definitely agree with Csirl, extremes can be good. Give us a nice hard snowy winter and a nice warm summy summer. ( could we add that to Lisbon2 ? ) June was wonderful, thoughts of a long summer then this crappy July has everyone in bad form again.

 

[liaconn]

ARRGGGHHHH NO!!!

It's the other way round!!

Oh calm down. I meant according to the old calender.

 

[Teatime]

I'd definitely agree with Csirl, extremes can be good. Give us a nice hard snowy winter and a nice warm summy summer. ( could we add that to Lisbon2 ? ) June was wonderful, thoughts of a long summer then this crappy July has everyone in bad form again.

I know a few mountain rescue folks who do night-time climbs on the twelve pins in the winter months as part of ongoing training. Tried it a couple of times. Toasty.

 

[Paulone]

What exactly can you do in 37C? I personally would fall apart in that heat. I am not a sun-worshipper by any means.

Sounds to me like you have poor wet gear - to echo coleen, with the right wet gear and suitable inner layers, there should be no fear of getting hypothermic during an Irish summer.

I thought the heat in Spain would be too much, but I loved it - I used every spare minute to get out into it (with lots of suncream). The only thing I found hard going was running, until I joined the natives and went a lot later in the evenings when it was fine.

I don't use wet gear to run or cycle with - I can't afford expensive stuff like goretex and would have it sweated to bits too often - prefer to use scrappy old gear and wear not much as the cold doesn't much trouble me either and I think it keeps the body's temperature down.

The rain isn't central to the discussion about autumn - I just notice it colder and darker this month than last and I believe the air has a distinctly very early autumn feel to it.

I know its silly and we should all know better by now, but if we have not had at least a decent week by this time next month, I'm going to feel like I've been robbed of summer yet again.

I would suggest the definition of a decent week is when some around us give out about it being 'far too warm' and by the end of the week, the weather forecasters are voicing concerns about lack of rainfall!