IRISH WEATHER

When I visited Ireland in July 2003 for my very first time, I was told to bring warm clothes, because it was said the Irish summer was not predictable. Well, it turned out to be the hottest summer in records and my daughter and I had to buy tshirts, because we brought only warm pullovers in our suitcases. We had no problem with the heat as we were used to it, but the Irish people suffered terribly, they never experienced so many days with temperatures over 30 degrees before. Luckily it was a one off and the next years were back to normal, which means lots of nice days in May and June with average temperatures ranging appr. from 20 to 25 degrees.

I remember, when I moved to Ireland permanently in April 2008, I was complaining about the last winter in Austria and that we had no snow at all. I love snow, especially around Christmas time! The next morning, I looked out of the window and was shocked to see everything covered under a thick white blanket of snow. That was like a nice welcome present and I was so happy to get my winter for one day. The snow melted away during the afternoon and all what was left was a nice memory. Usually there is not much snow in Irish winters and if it snows, then only a little bit, but that is enough to stop the whole country and children get time off from school.

In the last few years, there was neither a winter, nor a summer. The weather seems to be the same throughout the whole year. I was often wondering, when people on the street greeted with a friendly "hello! Isn't it a nice day?", on days where dark clouds were hanging heavy from the sky and not a single sun ray could pass through. I learnt that people here are happy enough with any weather, as long as it is not raining. This year's summer was a disaster, it was practically not existing and I heard people jokingly saying: "Didn't we have a nice summer last Thursday?"

I must admit, I love Ireland, but I hate the Irish weather, especially from the past 2 years. I need sun! I need warmth! I need seasons! But where can I go to complain?