"When I was young, summers were better"

Shakespeare's Sister · 10-07-2014 11:08pm #1

Weather folks, is this true? Have summers been getting steadily worse since... I don't know. Whenever nostalgia started?

Seriously though, people say it about the 80s but I remember 1985/6 as being atrocious, and nothing of great note until 1989. I don't remember much before that - were summers much better as people say?

Elmer Blooker · 11-07-2014 12:54am

Irish summers have always been bad, we haven't had a long summer since 1995! As far as I'm aware there wasn't a good summer between 1959 and 1976. The 1980s saw some great summers though, 83,84 and 89.
Last summer we had a lovely July but June and August were useless so summer 2013 has no place in the record books, neither do the summers of 2003 and 2006 which had heat waves that lasted for a couple of weeks but were mostly average.

Supercell · 11-07-2014 1:08am

I wouldn't say they are any better or worse to be honest.
The winters barring 2010 have been awful from a snowmaggedon point of view though from the naughties onwards.

piuswal · 11-07-2014 1:22am

see

www.met.ie/climate/MonthlyWeather/clim-2013-sum.pdf

Supercell · 11-07-2014 1:28am

piuswal wrote: »

see

www.met.ie/climate/MonthlyWeather/clim-2013-sum.pdf

Aha, now bringing science into it thanks, i noted in that document they mention the Poulter index (measure of good or bad summer roughly)

See page page 12 of http://www.met.ie/publications/met_ar2005.pdf (which only goes up to 2005) , my reading of that is they are pretty much unchanged with the occassional scorcher every 20 years or so!

piuswal · 11-07-2014 2:09am

Supercell wrote: »

Aha, now bringing science into it thanks, i noted in that document they mention the Poulter index (measure of good or bad summer roughly)

See page page 12 of http://www.met.ie/publications/met_ar2005.pdf (which only goes up to 2005) , my reading of that is they are pretty much unchanged with the occassional scorcher every 20 years or so!

Yes, the main point was the reference to the Poultor index. As far as I know, Met Eireann should have Poulton index for every year. Why not contact their Climatology Division and ask them?

weisses · 11-07-2014 9:32am

People tend to remember the "good" things

moxin · 11-07-2014 10:11am

Bar 1995, I think summers are getting better in the last few years

A nice summer to me is not the definition of continuous sun like in the Med.
A nice Irish summer can as well as contain continuous sun, it can be cloudy\overcast, have showers the odd day and as long as the temps are warm in at least the late teens with no gale force winds and no continuous rain every day, basically if its nice to sit out in mild temps that'll do me!

Rikand · 11-07-2014 12:50pm

as long as it doesnt rain, its a good summer in Ireland

Shakespeare's Sister · 11-07-2014 3:07pm

moxin wrote: »

Bar 1995, I think summers are getting better in the last few years A nice summer to me is not the definition of continuous sun like in the Med.
A nice Irish summer can as well as contain continuous sun, it can be cloudy\overcast, have showers the odd day and as long as the temps are warm in at least the late teens with no gale force winds and no continuous rain every day, basically if its nice to sit out in mild temps that'll do me!

Same here. But people say summers were a lot sunnier when they were kids.
I barely remember the heat stint in 2003 which people talk about a lot. Only a few days of it, but not a run of a few weeks. 2006 was pretty roasting for a good while.
I've heard people say 1990 was a scorching summer. This might be because of a handful of days, and the World Cup buzz, but it definitely wasn't.

If anything, my memories of Italia '90 are dull, dry weather.

20silkcut · 11-07-2014 3:13pm

Magaggie wrote: »

Same here. But people say summers were a lot sunnier when they were kids.
I barely remember the heat stint in 2003 which people talk about a lot. Only a few days of it, but not a run of a few weeks. 2006 was pretty roasting for a good while.
I've heard people say 1990 was a scorching summer. This might be because of a handful of days, and the World Cup buzz, but it definitely wasn't.
If anything, my memories of Italia '90 are dull, dry weather.

The Saturday after the World Cup final 1990 14th july was a sunny day but very breezy.
Was watching my aunts wedding video testing out my old VCR and they were all holding onto their hats and fierce wind blowing into the camcorder microphone.

Elmer Blooker · 11-07-2014 3:25pm

Magaggie wrote: »

Same here. But people say summers were a lot sunnier when they were kids.
I barely remember the heat stint in 2003 which people talk about a lot. Only a few days of it, but not a run of a few weeks. 2006 was pretty roasting for a good while.
I've heard people say 1990 was a scorching summer. This might be because of a handful of days, and the World Cup buzz, but it definitely wasn't.
If anything, my memories of Italia '90 are dull, dry weather.

There was a record breaking heat wave at the beginning of August.
August 2nd that summer is the only occasion in my lifetime that the temperature exceeded 30c in Dublin but overall 1990 was nowhere near as good as the previous summer.
edit: actually it is the only occasion that the temp has exceed 30c in Dublin since records began, it did reach 29.8c at the Phoenix Park in July 1934 though.

Gonzo · 11-07-2014 4:56pm

I don't think there has been much change in the summers over the years that I can remember since the early 80s. Sure 2007-2012 was a really bad extended run of miserably wet and cool summers but since then last summer has been decent and this summer so far isn't too bad, makes me think we're already due a bad summer next year!.

Winters on the other hand have definitely changed. All through the 80s we had proper snow most, if not all winters i can remember where our school would close for at least a week every winter due to snow! Since 1992 there has been very little snow in general, less frost and more often than not winter events have become much more marginal over the years. 2009/2010 were the only 2 winters that I can remember since the early 90s to break that trend!.

piuswal · 11-07-2014 4:59pm

Met Eireann has stats for each year, for each month, for each season, for each variable, e.g. how sunny was the summer of xxxx, what was the average temperature for the summer of yyyy etc etc, all of those figures are available.

The Poulter index is a system for combing all of these variables and giving an overall rating to each summer but if your only interested in, e.g, sunshine, then these figures are available separately.

Calibos · 11-07-2014 5:37pm

Geographical location even on our small island can make a huge difference. Take the recent spell of good weather. 12 out if the 14 days virtually clear blue skies in Bray and a 5mile coastal strip along the coast from about Dublin Southwards. Ask someone from Bray, Greystones, Arklow, Wexford etc and they'll rave about the stunning fortnight of sunbathing beach weather. ask anyone in the midlands and they'll say, "'twas alright, at least it was dry" as it hazed over 100% by mid day nearly everyday? Someone in Cavan might ask what planet you were on as it rained every other day that fortnight. All experiences of the same fortnight within 50-75miles of each other.

Same for Winter. Ask anyone on the East Coast about the Winter of '82 and they'll know what you are talking about. Ask anyone from any other part of the country and you'll get a "huh?? What of it??"

DOCARCH · 11-07-2014 8:23pm

Elmer Blooker wrote: »

edit: actually it is the only occasion that the temp has exceed 30c in Dublin since records began, it did reach 29.8c at the Phoenix Park in July 1934 though.

31.0c recorded at Casement (and here

) in July 2006.

moxin · 11-07-2014 9:31pm

Look at this evening for example. Its overcast with threat of rain when the average joe and jane look at the clouds(no rain forecast says met.ie) Met Eireann says its 19C now at 9:30pm in Dublin(probably less) but there is feck all wind, but heck its quite humid and lovely to sit out in, it really is. Enjoy it I say!

Elmer Blooker · 12-07-2014 12:26am

DOCARCH wrote: »

31.0c recorded at Casement (and here ) in July 2006.

also 30.5c at Casement on Aug 3rd 1975 (not '76)
I'm really talking about the city area which includes the Phoenix Park, Casement is too far inland so would obviously a degree or two higher than what would be recorded nearer the coast. According the the ME monthly weather bulletin 30.6c was recorded at Phoenix Park on Aug 2nd '90, this is the only time a temp of 30+ was recorded here since records began in 1855.
The highest "official" temperature in Dublin city in July '06 was 27.9c at the Phoenix Park on the 19th.

up for anything · 12-07-2014 7:52am

I want to bury my head under the pillow with a bottle of whiskey for solace when posters here can't recall the summers of the early 2000s. I'm old.

:(

The early to mid 70s summers were lovely.

Oops69 · 12-07-2014 1:18pm

The summer of 76 was never ending , my earliest memories of summer , running around the garden and jumping in and out of basins of water and one of those little inflatable pool things that are probably banned now , my teenage neighbours messing around , can stll remember the flares , the long hair and the bay city rollers were the one direction for the teenyboppers that summer.

Tarzana · 12-07-2014 8:02pm

Magaggie wrote: »

I barely remember the heat stint in 2003 which people talk about a
lot.

That's because the heat stint in 2003 was accompanied by copious cloud cover. The UK got sunshine and warm/hot temps, we got overcast warm/hot weather. 27 degrees and cloudy - not pleasant. I remeber 2003 for how oppressive I found it.

s.m · 13-07-2014 8:57pm

Well altogether we,ve had 7 heatwaves ( 1976/1983/1984/1995/2003/2006/2013 ) so I guess we can't complain and not sure if it's already mentioned but we're the most western country in Europe so we end up getting whatever the atlantic throws at us which does come somewhat handy during the winter. My point the UK have had more heatwaves or hot spells during the summer but have had more snow events need I remind anyone of February 2012

Shakespeare's Sister · 13-07-2014 9:21pm

Tarzana wrote: »

That's because the heat stint in 2003 was accompanied by copious cloud cover. The UK got sunshine and warm/hot temps, we got overcast warm/hot weather. 27 degrees and cloudy - not pleasant. I remeber 2003 for how oppressive I found it.

Good point. Now that you mention it, I remember very full-on (for Ireland) humidity that summer, even if not always necessarily sunny.
Got food poisoning after a shellfish meal too. :pac:

RobertKK · 15-07-2014 11:54am

Doesn't look like the Kilkenny record of 33.3C will be broken anytime soon.
1995 was the last, long sunny summer. Had hardly any rain for three months.

I like it warm and a bit of rain now and again to keep the grass and garden watered.

flas · 18-07-2014 2:42am

Magaggie wrote: »

Same here. But people say summers were a lot sunnier when they were kids.
I barely remember the heat stint in 2003 which people talk about a lot. Only a few days of it, but not a run of a few weeks. 2006 was pretty roasting for a good while.
I've heard people say 1990 was a scorching summer. This might be because of a handful of days, and the World Cup buzz, but it definitely wasn't.
If anything, my memories of Italia '90 are dull, dry weather.

I remember 2003, had finished my junior cert and remember spending days swimming in the shannon and it being a nice warm twmperature,so it defenitiely was not cold,more like this summer,as in constantly warm but not always sunny!

eskimocat · 18-07-2014 7:27pm

I think being stuck inside as an adult makes you nostalgic for those childhood days where you were able to go outside in good weather... (conveniently forgetting that often you didn't choose to leave the telly...you were sent outside to play)

Nostalgia rarely includes..the sunburn..... bees and other stinging insects... fighting with brothers/sisters/neighbours/ cause everyone is hot and cranky......smothering with hayfever.... being bored.... having to wear a hat...

but nostalgia often includes...playing with hoses, going to the beach, leaving a book outside and it not getting wet..picnics in back garden, staying outside til late at night...

So yeah, the weather was better in my childhood days... but then again so was my memory... lol

KungPao · 22-07-2014 5:21pm

Part of it when you were a kid was summer - 2-3 months of nothing to do but enjoy it. If it was a hot day you could be out in it all day...til sunset plus you were a kid so most likely felt super happy, more so than now.

Another thing may be that cars in 70s and 80s barely had working vents never mind A/C like many have now...and the old cars often had leather/leather look seats, so your young arse was burned off. Inside a car felt like Death Valley. Also, houses had little or no insulation...so were FREEZING in the winter but let in all the heat in the summer...

Come to think of it, I doubt very many buildings had A/C at all back in the 80s, so it must have felt super hot everywhere you went even if it was *only* 27 degrees.

Tarzana · 23-07-2014 10:43pm

RobertKK wrote: »

I like it warm and a bit of rain now and again to keep the grass and garden watered.

My ideal too. Bitta rain and dramatic lightening is fine by me, as long as it's warm and sunny the rest of the time. And in this ideal world, the sun should always happen at the weekends.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller · 24-07-2014 1:49am

16th of May 1992 was a belter.

Guns n Roses played Slane and I came home like a lobster. Burnt to a crisp.

I hope we get a few more Beach days this year..

I know the weather is good this week but it's just not what I'd call beach weather, just yet.

I'm in Dublin and Wed June 18th was the only day I went to the beach this year.

Last year only went on one day also: Sat, July 13th.

"When I was young, summers were better"

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