Learning to talk about the weather
You're going to have to learn how to tell people about the climate in Ireland. You can't be satisfied with a laconic "great sunshine", or a sad "is it going to rain?" Are you expecting rain in Ireland? No, there's something much better. You need to arm yourself. There's a weather vocabulary on the Green Isle that doesn't exist anywhere else. Don't believe it? Well, if you pay attention and chat with your Irish hosts, you'll discover that there are more than twenty expressions to describe rain.
You've heard of "raining cats and dogs ", the translation of "il pleut des cordes" (it's raining cats and dogs). That would be too simple, too beautiful, and perhaps a little too English to describe rain in Ireland. You're all set! Enjoy a great soft day (thank God): pure happiness, it's a "great soft day (thank God)": gray weather, just a thick mist, not too cold, it might rain later.
You'll love strolling in love under a divine soft rain : rain that falls gently on your skin and on the grass. Sometimes so delicately warm that it becomes little soft rain. Let the romantics wallow. Only spitting. It's clearly raining, but it's about to clear up. This means you can go shopping, cycling and, if you do it the Irish way, even have lunch on a beach with your family.
Lashing: the rain is coming down hard, and it's windy too. Umbrellas are no longer enough to protect you. In fact, you'll find them abandoned on the sidewalks.
The list goes on and on, sometimes the rain misses the mark, it's a squib, a squib, a pitiful attempt at a shower. And that's without mentioning the Gaelic language, which, along with rain(báisteach or fearthainn), rivals the Inuit, who would have 49 words to describe snow.
The green gold of Ireland
Of course, the rain stops. Often, under a clear blue sky, you'll feel warm, perhaps even too warm. On such days, you'll miss the rain, so marvellously have the Irish cultivated the art of living with it.
Without the rain, Ireland would be an island among islands, but with the rain, it's the Emerald Isle and its Fifty Shades of Green.
The meadows are greener and the horses are at home here, and the figures support the legend that there are more horses in Ireland than Irish. The oceanic climate creates lush green meadows where herds can graze freely for most of the year. This unique climate supports the excellence of the " truly grass fed " dairy industry, making Ireland one of the world's great cheese-producing countries. Yes, year-round grass is Ireland's green gold.
Gale of wind
The wind, which is also part of the party, has fun driving you crazy as it whirls around the island. Be a good sport and opt for hooded windbreakers. Caps fly off, umbrellas turn upside down.
Be careful at sea, when Gale force is announced: it's not a light breeze that freshens the air, it's a gale, a strong wind. A wind of 28 to 55 knots (50 to 102 km/h), force 7 to 10 on the Beaufort scale. Gale warnings are issued by weather services when winds are forecast to range from 34 to 47 knots (63 to 87 km/h).
Worried about the weather? Don't worry, you're on an island, and there's enough blue in the sky to patch a sailor's pants.
Let yourself be enchanted: under such skies, you'll see landscapes ablaze, streets waltzing in shadows. The splendid gardens, cultivated in the Irish free-range style, are truly lush oases.
You don't have to be an avid photographer to want to capture all the color and light you receive.
Why is Ireland so much warmer?
As a well-informed traveller, you'll have noticed that the island's most northerly city, Derry, is at the same latitude as Novosibirsk in Siberia, Newfoundland or Poland, i.e. 55° North. So it's easy to see why Ireland benefits from a helping hand. The temperature never drops below zero, or only slightly, whereas in Newfoundland it's at least -15° during the winter. This is largely due to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), or more simply to a vast system of ocean currents. In short, Ireland is favored by the Gulf Stream: warm, shallow waters move northwards from the tropics, then are returned by a system of colder, deeper currents. The climate is consistently mild, wet, changeable and unpredictable. Sunshine replaces rain several times a day. It's not unusual for the landscape to dry quickly in the sun after a shower.
Take in the sights and you'll be back for more!
Ireland's weather is a genius at creating breathtaking landscapes. No matter what kind of traveler you are, no matter what you come to Ireland to discover, to see or to seek out, day or night, you're sure to have a fabulous experience. Blazing sunsets, aurora borealis, multicolored clouds and bioluminescent plankton in Kerry are all yours.
To make sure you don't miss a thing, be prepared: pack a hood and a tube of sun cream and set off to meet the Irish.
There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. As the Irish saying goes, "there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather".
As a welcoming tourist destination all year round, you can be sure that the climate will never overshadow the warmth of the Irish welcome. So go to Ireland, and take only one risk: you'll want to come back!
