THE cold snap has well and truly set in with Ireland experiencing “the coldest spell to affect the country since December 2010”, according to a UCC climate scientist and weather analyst.
Cathal Nolan, who is the CEO of Ireland’s Weather Channel, said bitter weather conditions will persist over the weekend and into next week “with many parts of the country set to experience at least 10 days of near sub-zero temperatures”.
In the update posted to the Ireland’s Weather Channel Facebook page earlier this week, Mr Nolan warned that frost and ice will be a “major issue” on untreated surfaces.
New Year's Day snow scene at Patrick's Quay in 1956.
Given the harsh weather we’re currently experiencing, this week’s Nostalgia takes a look back at some of the coldest winters in Cork.
Twelve years ago, signs erected by Cork City Council did little to deter adventurous Leesiders who decided to skate and play games on the frozen waters of The Lough.
It followed one of the worst freezes in 1987 when The Lough was frozen so solidly that it then also became a playground for brave city residents.
But the winter of 1947 remains the harshest ever in Ireland when from January 19 to March 15, an arctic cold snap led to five major blizzards and caused many deaths.
New Year's Day snow scene at Patrick's Street in 1956.
As the temperatures rarely rose above freezing, the snows that had fallen across the country in January remained until mid-March.
The winter of 1977/78, was a particularly bleak one too, with significant snowfalls in the south and southeast of the country.
In February 1978, 26cm of snow was recorded at Cork Airport, the greatest depth recorded at this station.
The 1980s likewise heralded some very cold winters, most notably that of 1987.
In more recent years, the Siberian cold snap, known as the Beast from the East is a winter unlikely to be forgotten.
Cork was under a blanket of white and photos of empty bread aisles in shops and supermarkets were going viral.
Boys skating on The Lough in 1937.
Towards the end of February 2018, Met Éireann forecast temperatures well below normal as the Beast from the East met Storm Emma.
On the night of Tuesday, February 27, the predicted snow and ice arrived.
Whilst areas of Cork County including Innishannon, Kinsale, Bandon and Clonakilty were the worst affected initially, it wasn’t long before all of Cork was hit and businesses and schools were forced to grind to a halt.
By Thursday, March 1, temperatures plummeted even further and a reading of -7 degrees was taken at Cork Airport, the lowest recorded since 2010, according to Met Éireann’s annual report on weather trends.
Snow scene after Sunday mass in Blackrock in the 1940s.
This year, temperatures had been mild for the time of year but Met Éireann warned of a “big change in the weather” last week with much colder conditions setting in.
A countrywide weather advisory, issued last weekend, remains in place until Monday.
The national forecaster has said it will remain very cold into early next week due to an Arctic airmass, bringing “sharp to severe frosts, and ice or black ice on roads and footpaths”.
Some showers of hail, sleet, and snow will occur, mainly in coastal counties and freezing fog is likely at times, especially this weekend.
App?
