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January storms lash Inishowen
05.01.12
by Caoimhinn Barr, Inishowen Independent
WHILE the weather of 2011 went out like a
lamb, 2012 has roared in like a lion with high winds
and freezing conditions causing widespread
difficulties across Inishowen.
With gusts of 105 miles per hour recorded at Malin
Head weather station, much of the peninsula was left
without electricity for some time on Monday and
Tuesday as hurricane force storms battered the
north-west.
Many roads were left impassable by falling trees and
branches while others were flooded after twelve
hours of rainfall.
Slates were blown from roofs across Inishowen with a
mobile home overturned by the storm in Culdaff. A
Moville man’s oil tank was blown over and a
trampoline in Buncrana was lifted across the main
road by the freak winds.
Met Eireann described the hurricane force wind speed
recorded at Malin Head as ‘exceptional’ and ranked
it among the highest winds in Ireland in many years.
They said the gusts may have been caused by a ‘sting
jet’ – a rarely occurring surge of high-momentum,
high-energy air which appears like a curling
scorpion’s tail on weather maps.
ESB and Eircom crews were out in force across
Inishowen in an attempt to repair power and phone
lines damaged by high winds. |
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High winds wreaked havoc across the
peninsula. |
Meanwhile Met Eireann
figures released this week show that December was
one of the wettest but warmest winter months here in
more than two decades.
Malin Head recorded the highest level of rainfall
relative to normal in the country with almost double
the average amount of rain falling here in December.
More than seven inches (184.2mm) of rainfall was
recorded in Inishowen last month, compared to the
mean figure of less than four inches (101.9mm).
Nationwide minimum air temperatures were warmer than
normal almost everywhere, leading to a below average
number of air frosts recorded, of between zero and
eight. Malin Head reported a minimum air temperature
for December of 2.0°C, the warmest minimum
temperature recorded since 1988.
The balmiest days of December were Christmas and St.
Stephen’s Day when staggering temperatures of more
than 13 degrees Celsius were recorded at Malin Head
weather station. The wettest day of the month was on
December 13 last when 15mm of rain fell here.
The year of 2011 was wetter than normal in Inishowen
too with almost 49 inches (1232mm) of rain falling
here compared to an average yearly figure of around
41 inches (1060mm). The annual average temperature
of 10.1 degrees Celsius was up from the 9.3 average.
Nationally, the highest daily rainfall, 115.3mm, was
recorded at Hacketstown, Co. Carlow on November 11
last. The highest air temperature, 26 degrees
Celsius, was recorded at Drumconnick, Co. Cavan. |
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