Your daily forecasts from Boards.ie weather forum (NO CHAT)

M.T. Cranium · 15-07-2012 06:10AM

Sunday, 15 July, 2012
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TODAY ... Fair skies to start the day in eastern and some central, northern counties, increasing cloud generally, some light drizzly showers at times in west but possibly improving a little mid-day, warmer than recent days with highs 18-21 C.

TONIGHT ... Cloudy with drizzle or light rain, 1-3 mms generally, but a heavier band of rain in west Munster at times giving 5-10 mms. Lows 8-11 C.

MONDAY ... Rather warm and humid with some brief heavy showers across the south, more isolated showers further north. Rainfalls 5-15 mms south but trace to 5 mms elsewhere, highs 19-21 C.

TUESDAY ... Variable cloud south, warm and humid with occasional showers and risk of a thunderstorm. Rainfalls quite variable, possibly 15-30 mms in a few spots southwest, central and northeast, probably more like 5-10 mms northwest and southeast counties. Lows 11-13 C and highs 18-22 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Further heavy showers and risk of thunderstorms especially across Ulster, inland Connacht and north Leinster. Rainfalls 20-40 mms possible in these regions, but more dispersed and variable rainfalls further south, 10-15 mms on average. Some sunny intervals further south, fresh westerly winds developing, lows near 10 C and highs near 18 C.

THURSDAY ... Breezy and turning cooler with further showers (5-10 mms) in a northwest wind of 20-35 mph at times, highs 15-17 C.

FRIDAY ... Partly cloudy, isolated showers becoming mostly confined to parts of north central and southwest, highs near 18 C.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK ... A more settled spell may begin to develop but the first few days could see more low cloud in western counties, however there is some chance of warmer sunshine in many other parts with highs near or a little above 20 C. Beyond the weekend it may become rather warm for a few days with potential for highs into the mid 20s.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Widespread moderate to heavy rain is replacing the heat wave across western Canada except near the west coast, and some places may see 25-50 mms in a humid southeasterly flow while severe storms develop near the border and in the Dakotas, western Minnesota. Remnants of earlier storms may redevelop here and there in the Great Lakes region but some places will stay hot and dry with highs 30-33 C. Widespread heavy rains are inching north from the southeast U.S. towards the Ohio valley and Virginias. Hot and unusually humid in the desert southwest with storms developing over higher terrain.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Saturday was sunny and rather warm with a faint sea breeze by evening. Highs reached about 25 C.

Today's cloud picture shows an unusually shaped "towering cumulus" associated with nearby storms over central Utah last summer.

M.T. Cranium · 16-07-2012 07:01AM

Monday, 16 July, 2012
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TODAY ... Periods of rain, moderate and briefly heavy will continue for a few hours across Leinster while ending soon in Munster. Further north, much lighter showers will come and go, but eventually most regions should see brighter weather by afternoon as any showers become very isolated. Rainfalls of about 10-15 mms are possible in Leinster and 1-3 mms most other regions. Highs around 18 C except 15-16 C in coastal north.

TONIGHT ... Fog patches, humid, isolated showers. Lows 9-12 C.

TUESDAY ... Variable cloud south, warm and humid with occasional showers and risk of a thunderstorm. Rainfalls quite variable, possibly 15-30 mms in a few spots southwest, central and northeast, probably more like 5-10 mms northwest and southeast counties with highs 18-22 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Further heavy showers and risk of thunderstorms especially across Ulster, inland Connacht and north Leinster. Rainfalls 20-40 mms possible in these regions, but more dispersed and variable rainfalls further south, 10-15 mms on average. Some sunny intervals further south, fresh westerly winds developing, lows near 10 C and highs near 18 C.

THURSDAY ... Breezy and turning cooler with further showers (5-10 mms) in a northwest wind of 20-35 mph at times, highs 15-17 C.

FRIDAY ... Partly cloudy, isolated showers becoming mostly confined to parts of north central and southwest, highs near 18 C.

OUTLOOK ... A more settled spell may begin to develop, expect some coastal low cloud and fog, drizzle in west at times, but hazy sunshine with cloudy intervals further east, rather warm inland and east coast with highs to about 21-23 C by Sunday. Beyond the weekend it may become rather warm for a few days with potential for highs into the mid 20s. It all depends on how far north a strong ridge of high pressure drifts, conditions would become especially warm if the ridge axis reaches or passes a Dublin-Shannon line.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Outbreaks of rain and thunderstorms in several parts of central and western Canada with highs around 22-25 C. Showers and thunderstorms moving into the upper Great Lakes, hot and humid most of the Great Lakes and northeast regions, highs to 33 C with isolated thunderstorms again. Similar in the Midwest trending to exceptionally hot again in parts of the central plains states. Frequent showers across the Gulf coast states. Hot and dry southwest, warm and seasonable in Pacific northwest and variable cloud with isolated storms near west coast B.C.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Sunday had extensive low cloud and drizzle at first with a marine layer, then the sun tried to poke through at times by afternoon with highs near 22 C. Isolated thunderstorms around the region at present time.

Today's cloud picture is simply "cirro-cumulus" from June 2007 around these parts.

M.T. Cranium · 17-07-2012 06:19AM

Tuesday, 17 July, 2012
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ALERT for locally heavy rainfalls and intense thunderstorm risk today and tomorrow, see forecast for further details, and also, severe storm risk appears to be developing for Wednesday mid-day and afternoon along a cold front dropping southeast from Donegal Bay towards Dublin. There may be the risk of one or two localized and small tornadic cells.

TODAY ... Becoming warm and humid with frequent showers across the north, becoming thundery mid-day and afternoon, local rainfalls especially in south Ulster and north Leinster, inland Connacht about 20-30 mms locally. More hit or miss showers and slight chance of thunder later on across the south, some places could remain largely dry there. A few hazy sunny periods south-central and eastern counties. Highs 18-23 C. Moderate southwest winds in the 20-35 mph range, some higher gusts near coasts.

TONIGHT ... Further showers and a few thundershowers, more frequent in east Ulster and some parts of west Connacht before dawn. Lows 11-14 C

WEDNESDAY ... Showers and a few thunderstorms developing, risk of a severe storm from about Sligo to Dublin with slight tornadic risk, strong wind gusts, and hail. Rainfalls 10-20 mms in many parts but could be less near southwest coast. Heavier rainfalls in a few intense cells, this will have to be handled from radar, but in theory, around Athlone towards Kildare. Highs about 17-19 C. Winds WSW 20-35 mph veering later to WNW.

THURSDAY ... Breezy, cooler, winds NW 20-40 mph, passing showers, one or two with thunder and hail. Rainfalls about 5-10 mms. Lows near 10 C and highs near 17 C.

FRIDAY ... Sunny intervals, showers more isolated and most places could have a dry day, lows near 8 C and highs near 19 C.

SATURDAY ... Sunny intervals, more low cloud or sea fog near outer west coast, lows 7-9 C and highs 19-21 C.

SUNDAY ... Increasing cloud, showers at times in north, a brief interval of heavier rain possible, warmer with lows 10-12 C and highs 20-23 C.

OUTLOOK ... Next week could turn out very warm especially across the south and east. Sunshine will be competing with the Atlantic influence of low cloud trapped under an inversion, but some places could see a fair amount of sunshine especially by recent standards. Highs could get into the 23-26 C range at times.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Severe heat is returning to the eastern half of the U.S. and more briefly to southern Ontario. Highs today 35-40 C in many places east of the Mississippi River and as far north as southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. A rather strong cold front will develop ahead of a dry and cooler air mass over Hudson Bay and northern Ontario. This front will slide southeast late in the day and bring scattered heavy storms to Michigan, Ontario, and the inland northeast states, but that front will die out before reaching the coastal cities. Southeast drying out a bit after frequent rains and western Canada also drying out to some extent but with scattered storms developing over the Rockies, heaviest near the border and into parts of eastern Washington state.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Sunny and very warm here on Monday, highs about 27 C.

Today's cloud photo (to help publicize the Cloud Festival) is a cumulo-nimbus or thunderstorm base dropping rain over Bryce Canyon National Park last August, rain that never fell on yours truly as the cell drifted away to the north. There was clear blue sky just behind me as I took this shot. Yes, the scenery is a bit other-worldly, miles of eroded sandstone rock in all kinds of odd shapes.

M.T. Cranium · 17-07-2012 06:57PM

UPDATE ... Tuesday, 17 July, 20:00h IST
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The ALERT is maintained for locally heavy or severe thunderstorms in the next 18 hour period with tomorrow mid-day being the peak of probability for this to develop. Details follow ...

TONIGHT will continue warm and humid with outbreaks of thundery rain possible in the southwest and later across parts of the northwest. In general, this activity is not expected to be too intense and rainfalls of 10-15 mms may develop in some parts of Ulster and west Munster.

TOMORROW (Wednesday) the latest guidance suggests development of two clusters of heavy rain with embedded severe thunderstorms possible. These will track across the southern (inland) counties from mid-Kerry to around the Wexford-Wicklow border, and the north-central counties from about north Mayo to Meath respectively. In each case the risk of severe storm development would likely peak as these clusters track from central to eastern portions and there will also be some tendency for other storms to develop in between these clusters around Kildare and Dublin. Some places affected can expect 20-30 mms rain, hail, strong wind gusts in excess of 50 mph, and even the slight risk of a weak tornado (F0-1).

Tomorrow morning's forecast will update the latest guidance available on these potentials for all regions. I may update around midnight if there is anything significantly different to report.

M.T. Cranium · 18-07-2012 06:04AM

Wednesday, 18 August, 2012
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ALERT conditions may not be met, but a watch continues for the risk of isolated severe storms across north-central and eastern counties later today. The system appears a bit weaker now than it was forecast to be, but we'll be keeping a close eye on it anyway. Perhaps the biggest weather news right now is the possibility of much warmer weather beginning over the weekend.

Meanwhile, astronomy note, new moon will take place at 0525h Thursday.

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy and turning cooler and fresher, as winds veer gradually from SW to WNW 20-40 mph. Some heavy showers are likely, with slight risk of a heavy to severe thunderstorm, hail and damaging winds. This now appears to be less likely across the south (inland) than earlier forecast, but still possible across the north-central to Dublin-Meath region. Any risk of a tornado is very slight now, but brief wind gusts to 50-60 mph remain possible in counties from about Sligo to Meath and north Dublin. Watch for updates and discussion in the storm threads. Highs today 17-18 C and rainfalls about 15-30 mms.

TONIGHT ... Further showers and a brief steady rain interval, 5-10 mms, then turning quite breezy and cooler with lows about 7-9 C by morning in the west and north, 9-11 C south and east.

THURSDAY ... Partly to mostly cloudy, cool, fresh northwest winds and passing showers, one or two possibly heavy with thunder and hail ... highs about 16-17 C. Winds reaching 30-40 mph in gusts over coastal and hilly terrain.

FRIDAY ... Sunny intervals, showers more isolated, lows 6-8 C and highs around 16-18 C.

SATURDAY ... Sunny intervals, warmer, low cloud, drizzle or mist possible near outer west coast at times. Lows 5-8 C and highs 18-21 C.

SUNDAY ... Increasing cloud, showers possible late in day across west and north, warmer. Lows 8-10 C and highs 21-23 C.

OUTLOOK ... Showers at first in some areas, but most of next week is looking quite warm now and some models have a heat wave scenario developing with southeast winds developing. Highs next week could easily get into the mid to high 20s depending on how continental the source of the air flow becomes. Some coastal regions will remain a bit cooler with low cloud blocking the sun but I wouldn't want to put anyone off planning some holiday trips as the weather in general will be improved over the rest of the summer to date.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Heavy showers and thunderstorms will continue to develop along a slow-moving front edging south into the severe heat zone in eastern states, and places like Boston, the lower Great Lakes and parts of the Midwest could see heavy rains followed by somewhat lower temperatures, while the 35-40 C readings continue a bit further south (because it's breezy overnight, New York City was 32 C at 0100h local time).

Outbreaks of rain in the southeast states, as well as the Rockies, but a lot of dry weather in other parts of the west now. Temperatures a bit more seasonable although quite warm.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Tuesday was another sunny and very warm day with a high near 27 C.

M.T. Cranium · 18-07-2012 03:05PM

Update _ Wed 18 July 4:00 p.m.
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ALERT for possible severe storm developing in next hour across north Westmeath and south Meath, moving southeast (or towards Athboy and Trim) at about 30-40 knots. Possible strong winds to 60 mph and hail, slight risk tornado, brief torrential rainfalls of 20-30 mms. This is being closely watched, further alerts if likely to proceed as far as Dublin region. Approximate timing 4:20 pm Athboy, 4:45 pm Trim, 5-6 pm Maynooth to Dublin. Track is likely to be 5-10 miles wide. Other more localized severe thundershowers could develop mainly to south of this track.

Briefly, thanks to all who have visited and pushed the count over one million. It would have to be a severe weather day.

M.T. Cranium · 18-07-2012 04:21PM

Update _ 5:15 p.m.

Heavy to severe storm conditions imminent now for Dublin, lasting about half an hour, heavy rainfalls, strong wind gusts to 55 mph, possible small hail and watch skies to W, NW for any signs of funnel clouds or small tornadoes.

Further heavy to severe local storms remain possible further west around Offaly, Kildare, Laois now to 7 p.m.

M.T. Cranium · 19-07-2012 06:20AM

Thursday, 19 July, 2012
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TODAY ... Cloudy with sunny breaks developing, showers more isolated than past two days, some places dry (south, east more likely) ... rainfalls where they occur 2-5 mms ... highs 17-18 C ... NW breezes of 15-30 mph.

TONIGHT ... Clear intervals, chilly, mist or fog patches in valleys. Lows inland about 4-7 C, coastal and urban areas 8-10 C.

FRIDAY ... Sunny with cloudy intervals, just a slight chance of isolated showers in north, highs 16-18 C.

SATURDAY ... Sunny intervals, a bit warmer during the day, morning lows 5 to 8 C then highs about 19-20 C.

SUNDAY ... Sunny with increasing cloud, warmer. Low cloud, fog or drizzle may affect some outer coasts south and west. Lows 7-9 C and highs 20-22C.

MONDAY ... Showers developing in some western districts, but partly cloudy and warm elsewhere, highs 22-25 C (except 19-21 C west, north coasts).

OUTLOOK ... Most of next week looks dry and warmer especially away from the south coast which could see onshore breezes and low cloud, fog at times. Details are yet to be confirmed, it may become very warm, or there could be a slight influx of cooler air before this very warm spell gets more established (depends on where the ridge sets up and whether there is a weakness in it, some models are suggesting a weak tropical storm-like feature near the Azores which could allow the subtropical high to swell up over Ireland and the U.K.). Some maps look very warm and could see highs into the 28-30 C range well inland.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... Showers and thunderstorms will be widespread in the Great Lakes, Ohio valley and southeast U.S. while cooler and drier air works its way a bit further south into the northeastern states although it will still be quite warm at 29-31 C. Dry and warm across much of the central region, with isolated storms in western Canada in a warm and humid southwest flow.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Wednesday started cloudy with drizzle but then became sunny and rather warm with a high around 23 C.

M.T. Cranium · 20-07-2012 06:00AM

Friday, 20 July, 2012
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TODAY ... Cloudy with sunny intervals, more frequent in west and south, as a few light showers move across east Ulster and possibly a bit further west and south at times, amounts slight (1-3 mms) ... northwest breezes 10-20 mph and highs 16-18 C.

TONIGHT ... Clear intervals, cool with fog or mist patches in some valleys, calm winds ... lows 5-8 C.

SATURDAY ... Sunny intervals, bands of higher cloud will signify a warm front as highs reach 19-22 C (some low cloud, sea fog possible near outer south and west coasts, but could be sunny at most holiday resorts, low cloud mostly over the sea).

SUNDAY ... Increasing cloud, warm and muggy, some drizzle, low cloud or fog near south and west coasts, hazy sunshine at times further east. Lows about 10-12 C and highs 18-24 C with higher values inland east, northeast.

MONDAY ... Morning drizzle or light rain in parts of west and north, hazy sunshine returning after a dull start south and east, very warm and humid. Lows about 14-17 C and highs 19-25 C highest inland southeast.

TUESDAY ... Showers confined to north, some areas of low cloud and fog near south coast, hazy sunshine developing, highs near 25 C inland towards west as light winds become more southeasterly.

OUTLOOK ... The chances seem high now that a very warm spell or even a heat wave will develop during the week. The GFS model has a different solution with the early warmth fading to showers, but all other reliable models show a very warm southeast flow that brings temperatures well into the 20s, highest west-central with sea breezes east coast. Typical highs in this spell could reach 26-30 C west-central, 18-22 C south coast, 21-25 C east coast and Ulster. Anyone with travel plans should note that even higher temperatures are quite likely in southern England and France, 32-36 C not out of the question in the developing pattern.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... The severe heat has once again backed off from eastern regions somewhat with scattered heavy storms in the mid-Atlantic states, mainly dry and very warm but not as hot as before in the northeast and Great Lakes with more scattered showers and storms in the upper Midwest and northern plains. Severe heat returning now to states around Colorado and Kansas, very warm as far north as the northern prairie provinces of Canada. Some highs in the plains states and lower elevations of the Rockies to 40-45 C, typically 31-33 C across western Canada except near 22 C in cloud near the west coast.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER ... Sunny and very warm with a high near 25 C on Thursday. Increasing cloud overnight, low cloud and drizzle likely here on Friday.

Check out the Cloud Festival thread on this forum ... here's another cloud photo from a southern Alberta storm chase that I went on in August 2007.

M.T. Cranium · 21-07-2012 06:30AM

Saturday, 21 July, 2012
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TODAY ... Cloudy with some sunny breaks, mainly over south and east at first, with light showers possible this morning in Mayo, Sligo, Donegal and nearby portions of Leitrim, Derry. That's a warm front activating on its way to Scotland, meanwhile other parts of Ireland will turn warmer during the day in a light to moderate southerly wind, with highs 18-21 C.

TONIGHT ... Clear intervals, hazy or misty, low cloud near west coast may bring drizzle or fog. Lows 8-11 C.

SUNDAY ... Warm and humid, muggy, with low cloud or sea fog drifting inland at times south and west coasts, trending to elevated fog, stratus layers breaking to hazy sunshine further inland. Highs 18-20 C near the coasts and about 21-24 C inland, east coast (except where sea breezes push in from southeast). Light rain will slowly extend further east and 1-3 mms could fall in western and northern counties.

MONDAY ... Variable cloud, warm and muggy, patchy light rain at first should begin to break to isolated showers, lows 12-16 C and highs 21-25 C except 17-19 C near some coasts with local fog or mist.

TUESDAY ... Hazy sunshine at times, isolated showers mainly west and north, warm and muggy. Lows 12-16 C and highs 22-26 C except 18-20 C near some coasts.

WEDNESDAY ... Continued warm with sunny intervals, stronger sea breezes from Irish Sea as winds become more easterly, allowing the west coast to warm up further, highs 22-26 C warmest near west coast and inland, central.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY ... There is some chance of the warm spell continuing, but the model consensus indicates slight or perhaps moderate cooling in a northeast wind flow, models diverge on how strong this cooling trend might become, but expect at least a slight drop in temperatures in most regions and a sharp drop in Ulster and coastal Leinster, highs typically 18-21 C south and west, to 14-17 C Ulster and near 18 C Dublin, variable cloud northeast to sunny intervals southwest, isolated showers developing north and east. Some models have more of a showery solution with moderate winds reaching 15-30 mph, but it may not be that big a change.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... The following weekend may see a slight improvement back towards warmer temperatures as this northeast flow relaxes and the ridge edges back closer to Ireland after being pushed away to the west. This is tentative, but would expect some sunshine and highs around 22 C in this pattern, trending to more cloud and 18 C north/east, in light to moderate NE breezes but variable near coasts.

NORTH AMERICAN FORECASTS ... The most severe heat is now back where it started about a month ago, in Colorado and western Kansas, with more seasonable warmth in the east, as heavy showers fade out early this morning over parts of the mid-Atlantic states. Heavy storms in parts of the Gulf coast region where it is very humid. Also heavy storms at times in Alberta and inland British Columbia, mainly settled but warm across the central prairies and northern plains states, and a few isolated storms moving through the upper Great Lakes along a weak frontal boundary. Temperatures on both sides of that weak front are in the 25-29 C range daytime although much cooler locally near chilly Lake Superior which has 16-18 C water temps.

MTC's LOCAL (Vancouver, B.C.) FORECAST ... New readers may wonder why I post this, but a long time ago the regular readers asked me to give a brief summary each day of my weather for comparison ... our climate is not vastly different from Ireland although the summer tends to be sunnier and a bit warmer here ... but Friday was cloudy with morning thunderstorms then light rain or drizzle, highs near 18 C. Severe storms then developed further inland. This has been perhaps the stormiest summer in many years across B.C. and Alberta and we have not been in the severe heat although at times it has been warmer than average recently.

Don't forget the Cloud Festival, see thread on this forum ... today's cloud picture is a sunset shot from Utah last August.

M.T. Cranium · 22-07-2012 05:44AM

Sunday, 22 July, 2012
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New format: The morning forecast will now contain a brief forecast summary for regions of the U.K. that are part of Great Britain. Whether anyone noticed it or not, the parts that are in Ireland are already covered under regional forecasts for Ulster. But if you're interested in the weather in Scotland, England or Wales, then you'll find a summary after the Irish forecasts and before the ongoing North American forecast summary.

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Warm and muggy with widespread low cloud western counties, south coast, some of which will spread further inland at times with the sun more likely to win out in the east, especially where the southwest winds are forced to downslope, so it could turn out quite warm in places like Wicklow and Dublin. Highs 18-21 C in the cloud west and south, 21-23 C generally but 23-25 C locally in warmer parts of the east. Light rain or drizzle will fall from the low cloud at times near west coast. Winds in exposed parts of west and south will increase to SW 20-35 mph at times, less windy in the inland southeast.

TONIGHT ... Extensive low cloud, fog, drizzle, and very mild, lows 13-16 C. Breezy (SW 10-20 mph).

MONDAY ... Mostly cloudy with outbreaks of light rain or drizzle, warm and humid. There may be brief sunny or at least brighter intervals in a few places especially east of higher terrain. Highs generally 18-21 C but could reach 23 to 25 C in some places like Wicklow. Rainfalls generally not very heavy, 2-5 mms in some places, trace to 2 mms more likely further east.

TUESDAY ... After another mild night with lows 12-16 C, the day will be warm and humid with morning drizzle slowly clearing away to partly cloudy with highs reaching low to mid 20s away from cooler south and west coasts. Light SW breezes becoming more variable later in a slack flow.

WEDNESDAY ... Coastal low cloud, fog or drizzle, but many places brighter with some warm sunshine at times, lows 12-16 C and highs 22-25 C (18-21 closer to south coast).

THURSDAY ... The warmer weather could hold on in parts of south, southwest but turning progressively cooler from the north and northeast, as winds pick up from a northerly direction. A few showers could develop along a cold front. Highs may reach 22-24 C south, but could be held to 20 C in central counties (and that may be reached early) with 14-17 C in Ulster. Variable cloud for most with the passing showers rather brief.

OUTLOOK FRIDAY to SUNDAY ... Most reliable models indicate a cooler trend especially in Ulster and coastal Leinster in northeast to north winds 15-25 mph and some risk of showers each day in the east, probably more settled in the west and south with less of a cooling trend despite the change in wind direction, as this will be a land breeze and also the warm high will not be that far away to the west. There is some chance of the warm spell returning although that could take several days especially for the east.

Forecasts for U.K.

TODAY & TONIGHT ... Scotland becoming windy and showery, highs 18-21 C except 23-24 C east coast, winds SW 30-50 mph in exposed locations. Northwest England cloudy and warm, highs 20-22 C, with a few intervals of light rain, moderate S-SW winds 20-40 mph. Northeast England partly cloudy, warm, showers and highs near 23 C. Wales, Midlands partly cloudy to overcast, showers later, warm with moderate southerly winds and highs near 23 C except cooler near the sea. South and southeast parts of England will be partly cloudy and warm, highs 23-26 C. Southwest England cloudy and warm with strong SW winds at times, 21-24 C. In most places, tonight will be mild to warm and muggy with southwest winds diminishing to 20-30 mph, lows around 14-16 C.

MONDAY ... Variable cloud, a few showers in most central and northern parts, sunny intervals and very warm in southeast. Highs will range from 22-24 C in north (16-19 C near west coast) to 25-29 C southeast.

OUTLOOK ... Similar trend to Ireland, warm with some sunshine at times mid-week, turning cooler in Scotland late Wednesday and in northern England on Thursday, but in Wales and southern England, staying warm until perhaps Friday ... highs could reach 24-28 C mid-week and even higher in south central England ... then falling to about 18-21 C later in the week and next weekend, moderate N to NE winds and showers developing.

Forecasts for North America

Warming up gradually again in the east with highs likely to reach 30-33 C in the northeast states and Great Lakes region. Isolated thunderstorms central and northern Great Lakes. Widespread heavy storms in the southeast states, but hot and dry in parts of the central plains states although scattered storms will form closer to the Rockies. Highs about 35-40 C in central plains and 32-36 C northern plains, parts of western Canada, and over the Rockies. Hotter in the southwest, 43-47 C in parts of Arizona and Nevada.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Vancouver, B.C.) ... Saturday was cloudy to start then it slowly cleared with highs 20-23 C in the region. Now it's clouding over again with showers likely on Sunday as another weak front approaches.

M.T. Cranium · 23-07-2012 05:39AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer at bottom of each daily post.

Monday, 23 July, 2012
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Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy with outbreaks of light rain or drizzle, warm and humid. There may be brief sunny or at least brighter intervals in a few places especially in the southeast and southwest. Highs generally 18-21 C but could reach 23 to 25 C in some places like Wicklow and 22 C inland southwest. Rainfalls generally not very heavy, 2-5 mms in some places, notably north Mayo, Donegal and parts of central Ulster, trace to 2 mms more likely further south and east. Southwest breezes becoming light and variable by afternoon and evening.

TONIGHT ... Cloudy and very muggy with lows only 13-17 C. Some drizzle or light rain persisting in north, west.

TUESDAY ... Warm and humid with morning drizzle slowly clearing away to partly cloudy with highs reaching 22-25 C away from cooler south and west coasts where 16-19 C. Winds rather light and variable except for 10-15 mph onshore sea breezes. There may be an interval of heavier showers in north Connacht and Ulster around late afternoon and evening, potential for some thunder with this, and 10-15 mms rain locally.

WEDNESDAY ... Coastal low cloud, fog or drizzle, but many places brighter with some warm sunshine at times, lows 12-16 C and highs 22-25 C (18-21 closer to south coast). Very light easterly flow could lead to some drifting fog near east coast but this might not come very far inland, if at all.

THURSDAY ... The warmer weather could hold on in parts of south, central and southwest in partly to mostly cloudy weather, but turning cooler mid-day to afternoon or evening in Ulster and parts of north Leinster, inland Connacht as winds pick up from a north-westerly direction. A few showers could develop along a cold front by afternoon and evening across western counties, before which highs may reach 22-24 C south, but temperatures could be held to 20 C in central counties with 14-17 C in Ulster.

OUTLOOK FRIDAY to SUNDAY ... Generally cooler again with scattered showers developing, and some risk of a more prolonged interval of rain, as low pressure may develop in the cooler northerly flow. Highs only 15-18 C through this period.

FURTHER OUTLOOK calls for a slight rebound in temperatures early next week towards 20-22 C in variable cloud and isolated showers.

Forecasts for U.K.

TODAY & TONIGHT ... Variable cloud, a few showers in most central and northern parts including most of Wales, north Midlands, but sunny intervals and very warm in southeast and some distance north into Midlands, even south Yorkshire. Highs will range from 22-24 C in north (16-19 C near west coast of Scotland) to 25-29 C southeast England, 21-24 C Wales and inland northern England except near 17 C western coasts. Some rainfalls of 10-15 mms in parts of southern Scotland and northern England, mainly over higher ground, 2-5 mms on lower terrain.

OUTLOOK ... Similar trend to Ireland, warm with some sunshine at times mid-week, turning cooler in Scotland late Wednesday and in northern England on Thursday, but in Wales and southern England, staying warm until late Thursday or closer to London perhaps Friday ... highs could reach 24-28 C mid-week and even higher in south central England (27-31 C inland) ... then falling to about 18-21 C later in the week and next weekend, moderate N to NW winds and showers developing.

Forecasts for North America

Many central and eastern regions have now seen a welcome change from severe heat to more seasonable July heat, with weak frontal systems bringing a few rather isolated thunderstorms. Highs generally 29-33 C. More widespread showers in parts of the Gulf coast. Heavy showers and thunderstorms are moving across B.C. towards Alberta, the rest of western Canada is generally settled and warm. Highs only 17-20 C in B.C. and Washington state due to extensive cloud, showers. Much warmer further east and south.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Vancouver, B.C.) ... Sunday was a mostly cloudy day with showers around the region although it stayed totally dry at my location until almost 10 p.m. when showers began. Heavy storms further east. It was chilly for mid-July with highs only about 16-18 C.

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Disclaimer: Boards.ie and members posting in this thread offer weather forecasts on the basis of caveat emptor and in legal terms for entertainment of the reader; base any important or potentially safety-sensitive decisions on a full range of official weather information and not solely on information contained herein. These forecasts are not designed for use in aviation. Forecasts may not always be updated, and various contributors to the thread, while experienced in weather forecasting through forum activity, may not have professional training in meteorology. Boards.ie and its participating members will not be legally responsible to users of these forecasts for any reason.

M.T. Cranium · 24-07-2012 05:42AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer at bottom of each daily post.

Tuesday, 24 July, 2012
_________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Warm and humid with morning drizzle slowly clearing away partially to cloudy with sunny breaks, with highs where clouds break in southeast reaching 22-25 C away from cooler south coast where highs 16-19 C in fog or mist. Winds rather light and variable except for 10-15 mph onshore sea breezes. Highs generally 18-20 C inland where cloud remains dominant. There may be an interval of heavier showers in the west later this morning, shifting northeast towards Connacht and then Ulster, north Leinster around late afternoon and evening, potential for some thunder with this, and 10-15 mms rain locally. This heavier rain should largely avoid the southeast and possibly Dublin although it will come at least as close as Meath late afternoon.

TONIGHT ... Extensive fog and mist, low cloud but a few clear intervals too, very mild, lows 12-17 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Coastal low cloud, fog or drizzle, but many places brighter with some warm sunshine at times, highs 22-25 C (18-21 closer to south coast). Very light easterly flow could lead to some drifting fog near east coast but this might not come very far inland, if at all. There could also be thick sea fog near outer headlands of the north coast as well as some local light rain or drizzle there.

THURSDAY ... After another mild night with lows 12-17 C, the warmer weather could hold on in parts of south, central and southwest in partly to mostly cloudy weather, but turning cooler mid-day to afternoon or evening in Ulster and parts of north Leinster, inland Connacht as winds pick up from a north-westerly direction. A few showers could develop along a cold front by afternoon and evening across western counties, before which highs may reach 22-24 C south, but temperatures could be held to 20 C in central counties with 14-17 C in Ulster.

FRIDAY ... Breezy and considerably cooler with passing showers, sunny intervals. Winds NW to N 20-30 mph, morning lows 7-10 C and afternoon highs about 15 C north to 18 C south.

OUTLOOK for WEEKEND ... Generally cooler again with scattered showers developing, and slight risk of a more prolonged interval of rain, more likely to affect Ulster, as low pressure may develop near Scotland in the cooler northerly flow. Highs only 15-18 C through this period. Less rain likely in the southwest than most other districts.

FURTHER OUTLOOK calls for continued unsettled partly cloudy conditions, followed by a slight rebound in temperatures by middle of next week towards 20-22 C in variable cloud and isolated showers.

Forecasts for U.K.

TODAY & TONIGHT ... Mostly cloudy, a few showers or periods of light rain in most central and northern parts including north and central Wales, northwest Midlands, northern England and Scotland, Isle of Man; sunny intervals and very warm in southeast and some distance north into Midlands, even south Yorkshire and coastal northeast. Highs will range from 18-21 C in north to 26-30 C southeast England, 21-24 C south Wales and Severn valley to 27 C parts of Midlands, except 18-22 C near south and west coasts. Some rainfalls of 15-25 mms in parts of southern Scotland and northern England, mainly over higher ground, 5-10 mms on lower terrain. Heavier rain arriving in these areas tonight. Staying clear in the south with lows 13-16 C.

OUTLOOK ... Continued similar trend to Ireland, warm with some sunshine at times mid-week to Friday in south, turning cooler in Scotland late Wednesday and in northern England on Thursday, but in Wales and southern England, staying warm until late Thursday or closer to London perhaps Friday ... highs could reach 27-31 C mid-week ... then falling to about 18-21 C later in the week and next weekend, moderate N to NW winds and showers developing. The weekend may stay largely dry in parts of southern England but will be wet in the north and especially in Scotland where it will be only about 15 C.

Forecasts for North America

Heavy storms for New England and parts of the inland northeast, western Great Lakes, along a developing frontal system. North of this, rather cool but staying hot and humid south of the frontal zone. Very hot in parts of the central plains states and central Rockies, southwest states. Heavy storms also in western Canada (mostly SK-AB) with cloud and showers, cool in B.C. Highs vary from 33 C eastern prairies to 18 C central B.C., and from 42 C central plains to 24 C central Great Lakes, 20 C northern Ontario.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Vancouver, B.C.) ... Monday was a cloudy day with a few light showers and unseasonably cool (and gloomy) with an October-like feel, highs only 15-17 C. Slight improvement to mostly cloudy and 18 C expected later today.

___________________________________________________

Disclaimer: Boards.ie and members posting in this thread offer weather forecasts on the basis of caveat emptor and in legal terms for entertainment of the reader; base any important or potentially safety-sensitive decisions on a full range of official weather information and not solely on information contained herein. These forecasts are not designed for use in aviation. Forecasts may not always be updated, and various contributors to the thread, while experienced in weather forecasting through forum activity, may not have professional training in meteorology. Boards.ie and its participating members will not be legally responsible to users of these forecasts for any reason.

M.T. Cranium · 25-07-2012 06:11AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer at bottom of each daily post.

Wednesday, 25 July, 2012
_________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Coastal low cloud, fog or drizzle, but many places becoming brighter with some warm sunshine at times, highs 21-23 C (18-21 closer to south coast). Very light easterly flow could lead to some drifting fog near east coast but this might not come very far inland, if at all. There could also be thick sea fog near outer headlands of the north coast as well as some local light rain or drizzle there. South coast may have intervals of fog and hazy sunshine as winds gradually shift. In general, with such slack winds, weather conditions may well be quite different in nearby locations, as there is not much to shift low-level moisture very far. There will be a tendency for the weather to improve most in the west relative to recent days.

TONIGHT ... Widespread fog, mist, and low cloud, some clear patches remaining, and lows 11-14 C.

THURSDAY ... The warmer weather could hold on in parts of south, central and southwest in partly to mostly cloudy weather, but turning cooler mid-day to afternoon or evening in Ulster and parts of north Leinster, inland Connacht as winds pick up from a north-westerly direction. A few showers could develop along a cold front by afternoon and evening across western counties, before which highs may reach 22-24 C south, but temperatures could be held to 19-21 C in central counties with 14-17 C in Ulster.

FRIDAY ... Breezy and considerably cooler with passing showers, sunny intervals. Winds NW to N 20-30 mph, morning lows 7-10 C and afternoon highs about 15 C north to 18 C south.

SATURDAY ... Partly cloudy, breezy and cool, lows 6-10 C and highs 15-18 C, passing showers mainly western and northern counties. Rainfalls slight for most, 1-3 mms on average. Winds NW 20-35 mph.

SUNDAY ... Partly to mostly cloudy, cool, showers may become longer intervals of rain in parts of Ulster, north Connacht. Lows 7-10 C and highs about 15-17 C. Less risk of rain in south, amounts likely to vary from 10-15 mms north to 0-3 mms south.

OUTLOOK for NEXT WEEK ... Showers or light rain on Monday, then a gradual improvement mid-week, but staying rather cool with only faint signs of a return to warmer temperatures well on into the two-week outlook period.

Forecasts for U.K.

TODAY & TONIGHT ... Little change from previous days, with sunny and quite warm weather in southern and parts of central England, south Wales, more cloud further north. Only slight rainfalls in this cloudy area today and a few breaks are likely to develop. This will allow temperatures in the north to rise slightly especially inland, to 20-23 C in places, but 17-20 C near the coasts. In the south, it will once again reach 27-30 C except 22-25 C near the southwest coasts.

OUTLOOK ... Continued similar trend to Ireland, warm with some sunshine at times Thursday and even on Friday in the south, turning cooler in Scotland late Wednesday and in northern England on Thursday, with scattered showers mainly in western districts ... highs could reach 27-31 C tomorrow and 23-27 C on Friday in the London area, but otherwise closer to 20 C by Friday ... then falling to about 18-21 C next weekend, moderate N to NW winds and more widespread showers developing . The weekend may stay largely dry in parts of southern England but will be wet in the north and especially in Scotland where it will be only about 15 C. The further outlook is for unsettled and rather cool weather early next week with a slight warming trend during the week, but only back to around 20-22 C at most.

Forecasts for North America

Heavy rainfalls and severe storms likely in parts of upper Midwest, western Great Lakes. Seasonably warm most eastern states, southern Ontario. Hot and humid over the plains states with highs 37-42 C. Somewhat cooler than recent days in western Canada but drying out in Alberta, B.C.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Vancouver, B.C.) ... Tuesday was cloudy until mid-afternoon, although dry, then it turned sunny and warmed up to about 22 C after sitting around 17 C under the cloud.

___________________________________________________

Disclaimer: Boards.ie and members posting in this thread offer weather forecasts on the basis of caveat emptor and in legal terms for entertainment of the reader; base any important or potentially safety-sensitive decisions on a full range of official weather information and not solely on information contained herein. These forecasts are not designed for use in aviation. Forecasts may not always be updated, and various contributors to the thread, while experienced in weather forecasting through forum activity, may not have professional training in meteorology. Boards.ie and its participating members will not be legally responsible to users of these forecasts for any reason.

M.T. Cranium · 26-07-2012 06:04AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Thursday, 26 July, 2012
_________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... The warmer weather will hold on in most regions, although it will begin to turn cooler in the northwest this afternoon. Mostly cloudy in the west this morning, some hazy sunshine except where sea fog or low cloud drifts inland east and south. Warmest mid-day in Midlands and inland south, with highs there 19-22 C. Highs around coastal districts and in the north around 17-19 C. One or two showers likely by late afternoon or evening, only 1-3 mms at most, as winds pick up from west to northwest at 15-30 mph after mostly light and variable winds most of the day.

TONIGHT ... Fresher with west to northwest breezes 15-25 mph, isolated showers mostly in north, lows 8-11 C.

FRIDAY ... Breezy and considerably cooler with passing showers, sunny intervals. Winds NW to N 20-30 mph, afternoon highs about 15 C north to 18 C south. Rainfalls generally slight but could amount to 3-5 mms in parts of Ulster especially near the Antrim coast.

SATURDAY ... Partly cloudy, breezy and cool, lows 6-10 C and highs 15-18 C, passing showers mainly western and northern counties. Rainfalls slight for most, 1-3 mms on average, possibly 5-8 mms in parts of Ulster. Winds NW 20-35 mph. Some sunshine at times in south, likely to be overcast further north.

SUNDAY ... Partly to mostly cloudy, cool, showers may become longer intervals of rain in parts of Ulster, north Connacht. Lows 7-10 C and highs about 15-17 C. Less risk of rain in south, amounts likely to vary from 10-15 mms north to 0-3 mms south.

MONDAY ... Cloudy with periods of rain, highs near 15 C, chilly -- could be somewhat better in north as rain will be heavier near south coast.

OUTLOOK for NEXT WEEK ... Slightly unsettled but after the Monday rainfall there may be some dry intervals and temperatures should return almost to normal late July or early August values.

Forecasts for U.K.

TODAY & TONIGHT ... Some warm sunshine may continue in the south but increasing cloud will push through Wales and the Midlands, where it will stay rather warm today. Highs in the south 26-29 C and Wales-Midlands about 23 to 25 C. Cloudy in the north of England and southern Scotland with a few intervals of light rain developing later, turning cooler late in the day with highs about 19-21 C. Fresh and turning windy mid-day in central, western and northern Scotland, highs 14-17 C. Tonight will see this cooler air sinking further south with a few showers, mainly in western districts, and lows reaching about 8 C north to 11 C central. The warmer air will hold on in the southeast, as clouds increase; lows will only fall to 14-16 C.

OUTLOOK ... Friday warm in the southeast with scattered showers, one or two heavy thunderstorms possible even around the opening of the Olympics, moving across the Channel from France late afternoon and into London during the late afternoon and evening; highs near 24 C. Further west and north in south-central England, mostly cloudy, a few isolated showers, highs 21-23 C. Midlands and Wales cloudy with showers and highs 19-21 C on Friday, and cooler as you go further north until highs of only 13-16 C in Scotland. ...
... The weekend may stay largely dry in parts of southern England but will be wet in the north and especially in Scotland where it will be only about 15 C. The further outlook is for unsettled and rather cool weather early next week with a slight warming trend during the week, but only back to around 20-22 C at most.

Forecasts for North America

Heavy rainfalls in Michigan and southern Ontario today will end drought conditions in some places as rainfalls could reach 75-125 mms in a few places. Severe storms in a few locations nearby such as northern Ohio, western New York, Wisconsin and Illinois. Hot and humid central plains states with some highs reaching 40 C around Kansas and Missouri, heavy to severe storms further west and north along a slow-moving cold front. Hot and dry in the southwest, warm but dry in western regions and most of western Canada.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Vancouver, B.C.) ... Wednesday was sunny and reasonably warm with highs around 23 C.

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M.T. Cranium · 27-07-2012 06:13AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Friday, 27 July, 2012
_________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Breezy and considerably cooler with passing showers, more frequent in the north and northwest, and sunny intervals, more frequent in the east and south. Winds increasing later this morning to NW 20-30 mph, and afternoon highs about 15 C north to 18 C south. Rainfalls generally slight but could amount to 3-5 mms in parts of Ulster especially near the Antrim coast.

TONIGHT ... Frequent showers north, moderate NW winds and lows 7-9 C. Partly cloudy to overcast, isolated showers south, lows 6-8 C.

SATURDAY ... Partly cloudy, breezy and cool, with highs 15-18 C, passing showers more frequent and heavier in western and northern counties. Rainfalls slight for most, 1-3 mms on average, possibly 5-8 mms in parts of Ulster and Connacht. Some of the heavier showers are likely in the morning with a trough droppping southward. Winds NW 20-35 mph. Some sunshine at times in south, likely to be overcast further north.

SUNDAY ... Partly to mostly cloudy, cool, showers may become longer intervals of rain in parts of Ulster, north Connacht. Lows 7-10 C and highs about 15-17 C. Less risk of rain in south, amounts likely to vary from 10-15 mms north to 0-3 mms south.

MONDAY ... Cloudy with periods of rain, highs near 15 C, chilly -- could be somewhat better in north as rain will be heavier near south coast. Rain and fog may clear later in the day in the southwest as somewhat warmer air around 18 C moves slowly north.

OUTLOOK for NEXT WEEK ... Tuesday may see the rain continuing to drift further north with a gradual warming trend to follow; slightly unsettled later in the week, with the greatest threat of rain in western counties, temperatures should return almost to normal late July or early August values.

Forecasts for U.K.

TODAY & TONIGHT ... Friday warm and humid in the southeast with scattered showers, one or two heavy thunderstorms possible even around the opening of the Olympics, moving across the Channel from France during afternoon and moving into London during the late afternoon and evening; highs near 24 C. Further west and north in south-central England, mostly cloudy, a few isolated showers or brief thunderstorms, highs 21-23 C. Midlands and Wales cloudy with showers and highs 19-21 C, and cooler further north with highs of only 13-16 C in Scotland. ...

OUTLOOK ... The weekend may stay largely dry in parts of southern England but will be wet in the north and especially in Scotland where it will be only about 15 C. The further outlook is for unsettled and rather cool weather early next week with a slight warming trend during the week, but only back to around 20-22 C at most.

Forecasts for North America

Heavy showers and thunderstorms moving slowly south into the southeast states, followed by somewhat cooler weather moving in from the Great Lakes region where today likely to be partly cloudy with isolated showers, highs in the 24-27 C range. Still rather hot in the central plains states, seasonably warm across western Canada.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Vancouver, B.C.) ... Thursday was sunny and warm with a lot of haze and highs around 25 C.

___________________________________________________

M.T. Cranium · 28-07-2012 06:04AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Saturday, 28 July, 2012
____________________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... A few blustery showers this morning, currently moving through central counties towards the south and east coasts, could produce a brief thunderstorm, but there will also be some sunny breaks, and a good variety of clouds for the festival, with a few more isolated showers developing later. Further rainfalls of about 2-4 mms likely in some areas. Highs 16-18 C and winds NW 15-30 mph with some higher gusts near showers.

TONIGHT ... Cloudy with a few showers, lows 8-10 C, moderate NW winds in exposed locations.

SUNDAY ... Frequent showers and rather cool, winds NW 15-30 mph, highs about 16 C.

MONDAY ... Increasing cloud, some rain by afternoon or evening in western counties, a bit warmer especially for east coast, morning lows 7-10 C and afternoon highs 16-19 C.

TUESDAY ... Some rain at times, heavier west and north, 10-20 mms possible there, foggy over hills in Connacht and Ulster. Lows near 12 C and highs near 17 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Heavy showers and a risk of gusty winds developing in Connacht and Ulster, from SW to W at 20-40 mph (and possibly higher gusts in coastal locations). Somewhat better conditions for east and south coasts with a bit more sunshine in the mix there, highs about 17 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Continuing rather unsettled and perhaps a degree or two below normal in temperatures, with a faint prospect of warmer weather returning for a while in the following week.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY will be rather cloudy in most places although some sunshine at times in the Thames valley and West Midlands, also some scattered showers more frequent in Wales and northern England, trending to steady showery rain in western Scotland. Highs will be about 21-23 C in London and the southeast, 18 C Midlands and Wales, 16 C northern England and southern Scotland.

TONIGHT will see further showers, some heavy in western districts, and lows generally 7-10 C.

OUTLOOK is variable with some showers mostly western and northern districts almost each day and longer dry intervals with some sunshine despite a lot of cloud for the south and east. Highs all week likely to be in the cool to comfortable range of 17-20 C.

North American forecasts

The eastern half of the U.S. and southern Ontario will all be enjoying relatively warm and pleasant conditions with a few isolated showers, while the severe heat and drought continue to plague parts of the central plains and Midwest. Western Canada is going to see some heavy storms later today especially central Alberta from about Red Deer to Edmonton. Showery in B.C. and Washington state, otherwise hot and dry in most of the west this weekend, with a few afternoon storms over higher parts of the inland southwest.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Friday) was cloudy with a high of about 20 C.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the cloudscapes, hope the showers don't last too long whatever your plans.

M.T. Cranium · 29-07-2012 06:13AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Sunday, 29 July, 2012____________________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Frequent showers and rather cool, with some brighter intervals this morning in east and south, but eventually most places will have a shower or two, with accumulations of about 5 mms on average. It will be quite cool for late July with winds NW 15-30 mph, and highs about 16 C.

TONIGHT ... Gradually clearing as showers die out, cool ... lows 6-9 C. Winds falling off to calm inland.

MONDAY ... Sunny to start especially in eastern counties, then increasing cloud, some rain by afternoon or evening mainly in west Munster, a bit warmer especially for east coast, with afternoon highs 16-19 C.

TUESDAY ... Some rain at times, heavier west and north, 10-20 mms possible there, foggy over hills in Connacht and Ulster. Lows near 12 C and highs near 17 C. Rather gusty southeast to south winds affecting coastal regions of south and west, later east coast. Some gusts to 35-40 mph possible.

WEDNESDAY ... Heavy showers and a risk of gusty winds developing in Connacht and Ulster, from SW to W at 20-40 mph (and possibly higher gusts in coastal locations). Somewhat better conditions for east and south coasts with a bit more sunshine in the mix there, morning lows 11-13 C and highs about 17 C. Rainfalls likely to average about 10-15 mms, heavier in Connacht.

THURSDAY ... Still rather unsettled but possibly less frequent showers in more of a partly cloudy regime, lows 8-11 C and highs 15-18 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Continuing rather unsettled and perhaps a degree or two below normal in temperatures ... from Friday (3 Aug) to Monday (6 Aug) it seems likely to remain about 17-19 C by day with showery rainfalls, and then a faint prospect of warmer weather returning for a while in the following week to ten days.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY will be rather cloudy in most places although some sunshine at times in the southeast, with frequent showers and some thunder or hail possible in western and central to northern England, parts of Wales and most of Scotland. These showers will not be absent from the southeast but more isolated and some places could remain dry. Highs 19-22 C southeast, trending cooler further west and north, to about 17 C (14 C northern Scotland).

TONIGHT will be cloudy with showers in most regions and lows from 10-13 C in the south, trending to about 7-10 C further north.

OUTLOOK is unchanged ... variable with some showers mostly western and northern districts almost each day and longer dry intervals with some sunshine despite a lot of cloud for the south and east. Highs all week likely to be in the cool to comfortable range of 17-20 C. Wednesday and Thursday look particularly wet for Scotland and some parts of Wales and northern England. Towards the end of the week, some heavy to severe storms could impact the Olympic Games sites in the southeast (realizing that there are a few outside that zone).

North American forecasts

Seasonably warm in the east, a few more thunderstorms in mid-Atlantic states and western Great Lakes regions, highs generally 29-33 C. Showery across western Canada with some severe thunderstorms developing mostly in SK and w MB, spilling over into parts of Montana and North Dakota. Rather widespread "monsoon" storms in the higher parts of the southwest, hot and dry in some valleys and desert zones.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Saturday) was sunny with a high near 22 C.

M.T. Cranium · 30-07-2012 06:15AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Monday, 30 July, 2012
____________________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... A bright to sunny start in eastern and some northern counties, also a few isolated showers in the northeast ... cloudy in south and west with intervals of light rain moving very gradually inland in west Munster, amounts generally small except 5-10 mms in parts of Kerry. Highs 16-19 C with highest values likely inland east and north.

TONIGHT ... Becoming overcast with rain becoming somewhat heavier in west, then reaching parts of east and north as light rain or drizzle. Further amounts 5-15 mms heavier in west. Lows 8-12 C mildest in west Munster.

TUESDAY ... Some rain at times, heavier west and north, 10-20 mms possible there, foggy over hills in Connacht and Ulster. Highs near 17 C. Rather gusty southeast to south winds affecting coastal regions of south and west, later east coast. Some gusts to 35-40 mph possible. Otherwise breezy and becoming very humid later in the day.

WEDNESDAY ... Heavy showers and a risk of gusty winds developing in Connacht and Ulster, from SW to W at 20-40 mph (and possibly higher gusts in coastal locations). Somewhat better conditions for east and south coasts with a bit more sunshine in the mix there, morning lows 11-13 C and highs about 17 C. Rainfalls likely to average about 10-15 mms, heavier in Connacht.

THURSDAY ... Still rather unsettled but possibly less frequent showers in more of a partly cloudy regime, winds remaining blustery in parts of the west, but staying south to southwest as the low begins to circle around west of Donegal Bay. Quite variable conditions by afternoon with isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms but also some sunny intervals. lows 8-11 C and highs 15-19 C.

FRIDAY ... Variable cloud, showers, seasonable temperatures. Lows 8-11 C and highs 15-19 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Continuing rather unsettled although showers may be somewhat brief and isolated for much of the weekend, and perhaps a degree below normal in temperatures to seasonably warm ... from Saturday (4 Aug) to Monday (6 Aug) it seems likely to remain about 17-20 C by day with showery rainfalls, and then a faint prospect of warmer weather returning for a while in the following week to ten days.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY will bring cloudy skies in most places with brief sunny intervals, but some parts of south central England could do as well as an equal mixture of cloud and sun, with highs near 21 C. Showers will be somewhat isolated and one or two could become heavy, while some places remain dry. Further north there may be longer cloudy intervals and showers could be a bit more prolonged but most places will only see 1-3 mms of rain at most, with highs of about 17-19 C.

TONIGHT will be cloudy with showers in most western regions and lows from 11-14 C in the southwest, trending to about 7-10 C further east and north.

OUTLOOK is for rather cloudy weather but often settled in eastern counties, more frequently showery in the west, temperatures generally in the 17-19 C range by day (20-22 C southeast England). Slight risk of heavy thunderstorms towards end of the week in the southeast. Next weekend is likely to be more cloudy than sunny with isolated showers and temperatures not far from normal, highs 19-23 C.

North American forecasts

Heavy storms will move slowly east through parts of the western and northern Great Lakes, and also parts of the central plains states. There will also be widespread storms over higher parts of the southwest. Parts of eastern Canada (Maritimes) will see periods of rain and rather chilly temperatures due to a northeast surface flow. Further west, most other regions will be seasonably warm to hot, and dry.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Sunday) was sunny with a high near 23 C.

M.T. Cranium · 31-07-2012 06:33AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Tuesday, 31 July, 2012
____________________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Some rain at times, generally spreading north and lasting several hours before tapering off to drizzle or light showers in the south, 10-20 mms possible in most regions but with a later start, 3-7 mms in most of Ulster. Foggy over hills in Connacht and west Ulster. Highs near 17 C in most regions but 14-16 C west coast. Rather gusty southeast to south winds affecting coastal regions of south and west, later east coast. Some gusts to 35-40 mph possible. Otherwise breezy and becoming very humid later in the day.

TONIGHT ... Rain becoming more confined to north and east, 5-8 mms further accumulation, some heavier showers possible in north Donegal (but mostly offshore), foggy or misty across central and southern counties, mild. Lows about 10-12 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Heavy showers and a risk of gusty winds developing in Connacht and Ulster, from SW to W at 20-40 mph (and possibly higher gusts in coastal locations). Also, an interval of heavier showers in Leinster by mid-day with risk of a thunderstorm in the Dublin region. Somewhat better conditions for south and southwest coasts with a bit more sunshine in the mix there, highs about 17-19 C in most regions, warmest around Limerick. Rainfalls likely to average about 10-15 mms, heavier in north Connacht, west Munster and east coast.

THURSDAY ... Still rather unsettled but possibly less frequent showers in more of a partly cloudy regime, winds remaining blustery in parts of the west, but staying south to southwest as the low begins to circle around west of Donegal Bay. Quite variable conditions by afternoon with isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms but also some sunny intervals. lows 8-11 C and highs 15-19 C.

FRIDAY ... Variable cloud, showers, seasonable temperatures if not a little below average. Lows 8-11 C and highs 15-19 C.

WEEKEND ... There are two theories of how the weekend might turn out from the available guidance, which could be summarized as poor and mixed. The "poor" option comes about from the low tracking directly across Ireland in its dying stages with considerable cloud, frequent showers and depressed temperatures. The "moderate" option could develop if the low circles around to the south and leaves Ireland in more of a weak easterly flow which could allow for some longer dry intervals and less frequent showers, all of which would allow temperatures to stay a bit milder. The options are probably in the range of 16 to 19 C for maximum temperatures, and 10 to 30 mms rainfall on average, so it's not a vast difference. Splitting the difference, we could say partly to mostly cloudy with occasional showers, highs 17-18 C.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Continuing rather unsettled into the following week although showers may be somewhat brief and isolated for much of the time, temperatures in the 17-20 C range by day. Models are currently backing away from any return to really warm weather such as was seen briefly last week.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY will be overcast in most regions with outbreaks of light rain, the longest dry spells will be in Yorkshire and the northeast, and much of Scotland where some sunshine may begin the day. Highs will be about 18 C in most regions, a bit cooler in higher parts of Wales with low cloud and hill fog, and perhaps a bit higher in the Edinburgh and Newcastle regions.

TONIGHT will see further misty light rain and fog, lows near 12 C. Rainfalls in total will only be about 5-10 mms in many regions as the heavier falls stay in Ireland until Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY could see heavy showers and thunderstorms especially in the western parts of England and most of Wales, towards late afternoon and evening, with highs 17-18 C. Further east it could be partly cloudy at times between passing showers, and about 20 C. Further north, outbreaks of light rain and for the far north, fog and low cloud, highs 15-17 C.

OUTLOOK is for rather cloudy weather and becoming more settled towards Friday in eastern counties, as it stays more frequently showery in the west, temperatures generally in the 17-19 C range by day (20-22 C southeast England). Slight risk of heavy thunderstorms towards end of the week and weekend in the south. The weekend is likely to be more cloudy than sunny with isolated showers and temperatures not far from normal, highs 19-23 C.

North American forecasts

Severe storms likely in Michigan and Ontario today from a slow-moving frontal wave. Sunny and hot further east and south, except for a separate area of heavy rain moving up the Carolina coast towards southeast Virginia. Also stormy again in parts of western Canada, and across the upper Midwest, as a new disturbance forms in South Dakota-Iowa. More settled and warm near the west coast, continued scattered monsoonal thunderstorms southwest higher elevations. Phoenix has been seeing almost daily "haboobs" or sandstorms from (nearly) dry thunderstorms moving northwest from higher terrain into the lowlands known as the Valley of the Sun (more like the Valley of the Sand at this time of year). Sometimes these storms can create zero visibility on interstate highways in that region from blowing sand.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Monday) was cloudy with a bit of sun at times later in the day, and several degrees cooler than the weekend at about 18 C.

M.T. Cranium · 01-08-2012 06:16AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Wednesday, 1 August, 2012
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ALERT for isolated heavy rainfalls valid 0700h to 1300h in parts of south Leinster, potential for 25-35 mms rain although most places likely to see about 15 mms, bringing the threat of isolated spot flooding on roads and from smaller streams, in particular mid-Wicklow and south Dublin. An even more isolated risk of heavy rains and severe storms from a trailing secondary front now moving into west Munster and heading northeast across the Midlands later this morning, mid-day. Alert-status rainfalls there will be the exception rather than the rule, possibly one or two brief flare-ups can be expected in Tipps, Laois and region.

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Heavy and showery rainfalls this morning in the southeast, mainly over the Wicklow and Dublin Mountains, 15-25 mms in some places, with risk of thunder later in Dublin and Meath. A second band of moderate showers will drift northeast from Kerry (and is now moving into parts of Galway and Mayo) and this will bring more sporadic showery rains to most of the country over the rest of the day as it continues east and northeast. Amounts of 5-15 mms can be expected from this trough feature. In between the two systems, mostly cloudy with a few brighter intervals, isolated showers, and warm in southerly winds of 15-20 mph, highs for most 17-20 C. So, for most of the country a rather variable weather pattern, with the heavier rains mainly confined to southeast and a few other locations.

TONIGHT ... Further showers, although becoming rather light and misty, moderate S to SW breezes around 10-15 mph, some higher gusts near west coast, lows 10-13 C.

THURSDAY ... Still rather unsettled but possibly less frequent showers in more of a partly cloudy regime, winds remaining blustery in parts of the west, but staying south to southwest as the low begins to circle around west of Donegal Bay. Quite variable conditions by afternoon with isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms but also some sunny intervals. lows 8-11 C and highs 15-19 C.

FRIDAY ... Variable cloud, showers, seasonable temperatures if not a little below average. Lows 8-11 C and highs 15-19 C.

WEEKEND ... There are still two theories of how the weekend might turn out from the available guidance, which could be summarized as poor and mixed, but I would take the "mixed" option as more likely now. The "poor" option comes about from the low tracking directly across Ireland in its dying stages with considerable cloud, frequent showers and depressed temperatures. The "moderate" option could develop if the low circles around to the south and leaves Ireland in more of a weak easterly flow which could allow for some longer dry intervals and less frequent showers, all of which would allow temperatures to stay a bit milder. The options are probably in the range of 16 to 19 C for maximum temperatures, and 10 to 30 mms rainfall on average, so it's not a vast difference. Splitting the difference and leaning more towards a mixed bag of conditions, we could say partly to mostly cloudy with occasional showers, highs 17-19 C, rainfalls generally declining through the weekend. There may be longer dry spells on Sunday and especially holiday Monday.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... The forecast models are into one of those see-saw routines and now the prospect of settled and somewhat warmer weather eventually developing has increased, but I am not too confident that this is a permanent foundation, so would suggest the most likely outcome somewhat unsettled with a few mainly dry days and seasonable temperatures. It could then improve from that if we're fortunate.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY could see heavy showers and thunderstorms especially in the western parts of England and especially in Wales where some torrential downpours (25-40 mms) could lead to flooding mid-day or afternoon, and this rain could spread further north and east towards late afternoon and evening, with highs 17-19 C. Further east towards the North Sea coasts, it could be partly cloudy at times with a dry morning, then passing showers arriving later or towards evening, and highs about 20 C. Further north, outbreaks of light to moderate rain and for the far north, fog and low cloud, highs 15-17 C.

TONIGHT ... Rain tapering to showers and then drizzle, fog or mist, could stay largely dry in a few parts of the south. Lows 10-15 C.

OUTLOOK is for rather cloudy weather and becoming more settled towards Friday in eastern counties, as it stays more frequently showery in the west, temperatures generally in the 17-19 C range by day (20-22 C southeast England). Slight risk of heavy thunderstorms towards end of the week and weekend in the south. The weekend is likely to be more cloudy than sunny with isolated showers and temperatures not far from normal, highs 19-23 C. The longer term is subject to the same uncertainty as Ireland, with some prospect of a warmer, dry spell developing towards 8th-15th August.

North American forecasts

Rain becoming heavier today near the east coast from offshore frontal waves, hot and dry further inland as yesterday's Great Lakes storms move off into the St Lawrence valley and merge with the New England coastal rain. Highs only 20-25 C east coast but 28-32 C further inland, trending to 35-38 into parts of the Midwest and plains states with isolated storms along weak frontal boundaries. Meanwhile, severe storms from Alberta into Saskatchewan and later into Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, some of these already in progress early morning hours, may redevelop mid-day, some risk of a tornado in parts of SK. Trending to warm and dry on the west coast.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Tuesday) was sunny and 23 C.

M.T. Cranium · 02-08-2012 05:42AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Thursday, 2 August, 2012
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Astronomy note: Full moon occurred earlier today at 0429h IST.

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Some intervals of sunshine this morning in west, partly to mostly cloudy elsewhere, showers developing but heaviest in south central counties then later these will move north towards Longford and surrounding counties, with the risk of a few isolated heavy thunderstorms. Rainfalls generally 3-7 mms but could reach 20-30 mms in a few of these central districts. Some places on the other hand could remain dry all day. Highs 16-19 C with moderate south winds tending to back to SE later. Gusty winds could develop around intense shower cells but otherwise mainly 10-15 mph.

TONIGHT ... Variable cloud, a few showers, mild, foggy in places, lows around 10 to 12 C, some rainfalls of 2-4 mms.

FRIDAY ... Variable cloud, showers, and risk of some heavier thundery showers in the south, later moving north towards central Leinster, Dublin area, some rainfalls of 10-20 mms in these, otherwise 5-10 mms. Highs will range between 16 and 19 C. Winds continuing to back SE to E as the low begins to drift across the south, gradually weakening as it goes.

SATURDAY ... Variable cloud, showers or a few periods of light rain, some tendency for improvement across northwest and later other parts of the west as the disturbed weather begins to redevelop over Britain with the drifting low. Rainfalls of 10-15 mms possible in southeast, less elsewhere. Lows near 9 C and highs near 16 C.

SUNDAY ... Partly cloudy, showers more isolated, lows near 7 C and highs near 17 C.

MONDAY ... Partly cloudy, showers in a few places, but some other places dry with longer intervals of sunshine, rain spreading in by evening from west. Lows near 6 C and highs near 17 C.

OUTLOOK ... Some further showers at times, but a chance of a warmer interval developing later next week.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy, any morning sunshine will fade behind thickening higher cloud, and there will be outbreaks of rain by afternoon and evening, generally about 5-10 mms. Highs near 21 C south, 17 C central and 14-16 C northern England, Scotland.

TONIGHT ... Showers, mild, some fog developing, lows 9-12 C.

OUTLOOK is for rather cloudy weather and becoming more settled towards Friday in eastern counties, as it stays more frequently showery in the west, temperatures generally in the 17-19 C range by day (20-22 C southeast England). Slight risk of heavy thunderstorms towards end of Friday and into the first half of the weekend in the south. The rest of the weekend is likely to be more cloudy than sunny with isolated showers and temperatures not far from normal, highs 19-23 C. The longer term is subject to the same uncertainty as Ireland, with some prospect of a warmer, dry spell developing towards 8th-15th August but a risk of heavy rain or thunderstorms in south central and southwest England.

North American forecasts

A near-perfect summer day for the lower Great Lakes and inland northeast, Ohio valley, highs near 30 C. Heavy showers and thunderstorms developing across the central plains states, Midwest, with the remnants of the severe heat and drought holding on in parts of the mid-south, then heavy showers in the southeast and parts of Florida. Hot in the southwest and seasonably warm in far west, while another in a seemingly endless series of Pacific fronts assaults parts of interior B.C. and Alberta (having perhaps the worst summer in ages across these regions, not so bad on the coast where I am). Severe storms today in Alberta will begin to evolve into a complex of very heavy rainfalls for SK-eMT-wND-swMB on Friday.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Wednesday) was sunny and 21 C with a cooling sea breeze and afternoon high cloud becoming almost a total overcast by evening. Light southerly winds.

M.T. Cranium · 03-08-2012 06:25AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Friday, 3 August, 2012
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Forecasts for Ireland

ALERT posted for locally intense showers or thunderstorms developing mid-day in Dublin region and also near Galway. These could be quite localized and any flooding that might result could be hit or miss but would keep a close eye on radar after about 1030h for these developing storms, and forum chat threads will give you additional guidance later on.

TODAY ... Variable cloud, showers, and risk of some heavier thundery showers in the south, later moving north towards central Leinster, Dublin area, some rainfalls of 15-25 mms in these, otherwise 5-10 mms, although another area of locally heavy showers with some thunder could move across Galway mid-day also. By late afternoon these two areas may begin to merge into intervals of moderate rain around east Connacht and north Leinster into south Ulster. Highs will range between 16 and 19 C. Winds continuing to back SE to E 10-20 mph as the low begins to drift across the south, gradually weakening as it goes. Some places in central counties may miss various lines of showers and almost manage to stay dry, so if you keep watching the radar you might find a good spot for an afternoon outing (or a storm chase).

TONIGHT ... A few more heavy showers likely in the south, average rainfalls about 5-10 mms, mild with lows near 10 C.

SATURDAY ... Variable cloud, showers or a few periods of light rain, some tendency for improvement across northwest and later other parts of the west as the disturbed weather begins to redevelop over Britain with the drifting low. Rainfalls of 10-15 mms possible in southeast where one or two places could have a thundery downpour, lesser amounts elsewhere and quite dry much of the time in some west coast locations. Highs near 16 C with winds tending to back to northeast then north 10-15 mph.

SUNDAY ... Partly cloudy to sunny at times, showers more isolated, lows near 7 C and highs near 17 C in light to moderate NW winds. There might be one or two isolated heavy showers but many places could have a dry day as the areal coverage of any showers will be something like 5-10% of the country.

MONDAY ... Partly cloudy, showers in a few places, but some other places dry with longer intervals of sunshine, rain spreading in by evening or midnight from west. Lows near 6 C and highs near 17 C.

TUESDAY ... Increasing cloud east, showers or periods of rain west, somewhat lighter rainfalls than with recent disturbances, 5-10 mms on average, highs around 17 C.

LATER NEXT WEEK ... We remain hopeful that another warm spell could develop and with some sunshine highs might reach 23 C or a bit higher in a few spots. This does not appear likely to become a set pattern as, like a week ago, the warm spell breaks down as the ridge splits and allows the Atlantic to "drive the car" again.

SOMEONE ASKED ABOUT WINTER 2012-13 ... So I will share the answer with all readers ... first of all, guidance and research model suggest another rather warm autumn and yes, it does seem quite plausible that a cold winter could develop, but from my perspective, too early to make a call on it. I don't see any signals of a raging mild southwesterly regime anyway. But as always, winter forecast hints in September and publication in October.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY ... Partly cloudy with some long sunny intervals in the east, more cloud to west with isolated showers developing (Cornwall, Devon, south Wales mostly). Highs near 22-24 C south, 18-21 C central and 16-18 C northern England, Scotland where it may be more cloudy also.

TONIGHT ... Showers moving east, followed by heavier bursts of rain in west some with thunder, mild, some fog developing, lows 10-14 C.

OUTLOOK ... Basically, the slow-moving upper low will take about a day to 36 hours longer to deal with Britain than with Ireland, so each day to about Wednesday can be compared to the previous day's forecast for nearby parts of southeast to northeast Ireland, meaning that most of the weekend will be unsettled with heavy thundery showers at times, highs 18-20 C. While Monday could be pleasant in the west, Tuesday will be the dry day for most of the southeast. The warm spell potential is about the same, developing later in the week and lasting a few days before slowly breaking down again in the south, more rapidly in the north.

North American forecasts

Heavy showers and thunderstorms from SK-wMB south into the Dakotas, merging later with developing storms in KS-NE ... this disturbance could become quite significant for the Great Lakes region over the weekend. The hot, dry regime continues further south from n TX and OK across parts of the central states, and today will be fairly dry in most of the east although one or two showers are possible along a weak warm front ahead of the stronger system in SD-MN. Temperatures in most parts of the east will be seasonably warm, very hot in the south central states, and turning quite chilly in parts of the northwest and in Alberta, eastern B.C. as the developing low pulls down some cooler air from the subarctic (highs 15-17 C with overcast and some rain). This cloud will thin out or disappear near the west coast.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Thursday) was rather cloudy at first, then sunny after mid-day with a high of 22 C.

M.T. Cranium · 04-08-2012 06:48AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Saturday, 4 August, 2012
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Forecasts for Ireland

ALERT posted for locally intense showers or thunderstorms developing over parts of the inland east and southeast, most likely in regions between Cork and Dublin although more focussed on the inland southeast in counties such as Laois, Carlow, Kilkenny and nearby portions of surrounding counties. Here, some rather slow-moving downpours with intense thunder and lightning could develop and lead to local spot flooding due to 20-30 mm downpours that may not move away very rapidly due to the current dynamics of the weakening system that is drifting east across southern regions. The cities of Dublin and Cork as well as Waterford and Wexford are more or less on the edge of this risk zone and could be affected although towns further inland are probably more at risk of urban flooding as this kind of activity sometimes builds up on sea breeze boundaries and the kind of uplift that might develop near higher inland hills.

TODAY ... Variable cloud, showers or a few periods of light rain, some tendency for improvement across northwest and later other parts of the west as the disturbed weather begins to redevelop over Britain with the drifting low. Rainfalls of 15-30 mms possible in southeast where one or two places could have a thundery downpour (see alert above), lesser amounts elsewhere and quite dry much of the time in some west coast locations and parts of Ulster. Highs near 16-17 C with winds tending to back to northeast then north 10-15 mph.

TONIGHT ... Cloudy intervals, a few lingering showers mainly south and east, mild with lows 9-12 C. Fog patches in valleys and over hills.

SUNDAY ... Partly cloudy to sunny at times, showers more isolated, lows near 7 C and highs near 17 C in light to moderate NW winds. There might be one or two isolated heavy showers near the east coast and some distance inland, but many places further west and north could have a dry day as the areal coverage of any showers will be something like 5-10% of the country. Sunshine could be as much as 7-10 hours in parts of the west.

MONDAY ... Partly cloudy, showers in a few places, but some other places dry with longer intervals of sunshine (8-12 hours possible), patchy light rain spreading in by evening or midnight from west. Lows near 6 C and highs near 17 C.

TUESDAY ... Increasing cloud east, showers or periods of rain southwest spreading further east, somewhat lighter rainfalls than with recent disturbances, 5-10 mms on average, north may stay largely dry, highs around 17 C.

WEDNESDAY to SATURDAY ... We remain hopeful that another warm spell could develop and with some sunshine highs might reach 23 C or a bit higher in a few spots. This does not appear likely to become a set pattern for more than four days as, like a week ago, the warm spell breaks down as the ridge splits and allows the Atlantic to "drive the car" again. It would then become variable with near normal temperatures and occasionally showery frontal passages mid-month (after this warm spell comes and goes).

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY ... Increasing cloud, showers becoming more frequent, some heavy thundery downpours by mid-day (west central) or later (eastern counties) with highs generally 18-21 C throughout Britain, possibly 22-23 C in a few places in the southeast and East Anglia. Rainfalls 10-30 mms possible.

TONIGHT ... Further showers and brief thunder showers, lows 11-14 C.

SUNDAY ... Variable cloud with some heavy or severe thunderstorms possible, trending more to partly cloudy with isolated showers further north, longer intervals of sunshine in parts of Cumbria and western Scotland. Highs generally 18-21 C.

OUTLOOK ... Several more unsettled days Monday to Wednesday, heavier rain in south than elsewhere, cool with highs 17-19 C. Becoming warm or even hot and dry later in the week, highs rising to mid to high 20s and near 30 in the southeast. This warm spell or heat wave may coincide with the last few days of the Olympics then more seasonable weather is expected to return.

North American forecasts

Heavy showers and thunderstorms will develop over Minnesota (MN) and Wisconsin (WI) and spread gradually into Michigan (MI), then this complex will head into south-central Ontario overnight and redevelop there on Sunday.

Hot and humid south of this frontal disturbance, highs 30-33 C. Widespread showers and thunderstorms in the southeast from a weak tropical disturbance east of Florida. Meanwhile, tropical storm Ernesto is racing west across the Caribbean Sea towards the Yucatan and may enter the Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane next week. Landfall speculation is rather vague at present time, I would guess perhaps Texas or northern Mexico but all regions are in play. Meanwhile, a heat wave is developing over the west under a swelling upper ridge and highs will be well into the 30s or lower 40s inland. However, it remains rather cool further east in the Canadian prairies and northern plains states in the wake of the developing storms mentioned at the start (in MN/WI). Cloud is prevalent with a few showers, followed by gradual clearing and highs only 15-20 C in this air mass.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Friday) was sunny and very warm, borderline hot, at about 27 C. Expecting 33 C on the weekend and Monday which is also a holiday here.

M.T. Cranium · 05-08-2012 07:00AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Sunday, 5 August, 2012
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Forecasts for Ireland

ALERT for locally intense showers or thunderstorms developing over parts of the inland east and southeast, south central counties, currently developing in a zone extending from Monaghan southwest to Tipps, and possibly spreading mainly to the south from that zone later. Some local rainfalls of 20 mms could create local spot flooding, drive with caution.

TODAY ... Partly to mostly cloudy in most regions, somewhat more sunshine at first in Wexford and parts of north Connacht. Some heavier showers developing, possibly with thunder, in counties between Monaghan-Westmeath and Tipps-Kilkenny, and later more widely although some places should remain dry. Local rainfalls of 20 mms possible, see alert. Highs 15-17 C and moderate N-NW winds 15-25 mph.

MONDAY ... Partly cloudy, showers in a few places, but some other places dry with longer intervals of sunshine (6-10 hours possible), patchy light rain spreading in by late afternoon or evening from southwest, spreading overnight across parts of the inland south (amounts 5-10 mms at most). Lows near 6 C and highs near 17 C.

TUESDAY ... Increasing cloud east, showers or periods of rain southwest spreading further east, somewhat lighter rainfalls than with recent disturbances, 5-10 mms on average, north may stay largely dry, highs around 17 C.

WEDNESDAY to SATURDAY ... We are now confident that another warm spell could develop and with some sunshine highs might reach 23-26 C inland, and 20-23 C near east coast; as usual, there could be some low cloud and fog near south coast. The warm spell seems likely to break down around the following weekend with showers moving up from Biscay, some thundery and heavy, then a return to variable conditions in an unsettled westerly flow, with near normal temperatures.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY ... Variable cloud with rain spreading into the southwest and by mid-day evolving into some heavy showers with severe thunderstorms possible across the south and central portions of England, with less severe and widely scattered showers elsewhere, trending more to partly cloudy with isolated showers further north, longer intervals of sunshine in parts of Cumbria and western Scotland. Highs generally 18-21 C. The most likely time for any disruptions of Olympic events in London appears to be late afternoon and evening, with occasional thunderstorms possible.

OUTLOOK ... Several more unsettled days Monday to Wednesday, heavier rain in south than elsewhere, cool with highs 17-19 C. Becoming warm or even hot and dry later in the week, highs rising to mid to high 20s and near 30 in the southeast. This warm spell or heat wave may coincide with the last few days of the Olympics then more seasonable weather is expected to return.

North American forecasts

Heavy showers and thunderstorms will continue in parts of the lower Great Lakes region and Ohio valley, with severe heat further south, dry in the south-central plains states, and humid near the east coast. The heaviest storms may be in Indiana, Ohio, nw PA, wNY and south-central Ontario. A much weaker outbreak of locally heavy storms will drift east from Alberta through central Saskatchewan as slightly cooler air drops south into the heat wave now well-established over the western regions. Highs of 35-40 C will be recorded in western valleys and 28-32 C near the coast under cloudless skies, humidity levels are moderate to low with this heat.

Meanwhile, tropical storm Ernesto is racing west across the Caribbean Sea past Jamaica later today, heading towards the northern Yucatan and it may enter the Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane next week. Landfall speculation continues rather vague at present time, I would guess perhaps Texas or northern Mexico but all regions are in play. Another tropical storm, Florence, will take a more northerly track past the Virgin Islands and is currently expected to weaken rather than continuing further west from there.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Saturday) was sunny and hot, with a high near 31 and Sunday is expected to be similar with 34 C possible.

M.T. Cranium · 06-08-2012 06:32AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Monday, 6 August, 2012
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Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... The day will start out rather cloudy and could improve somewhat in the easterm, central and northern counties, where rainfalls should be rather isolated. Highs will be 16-19 C. Across the south, more unsettled with outbreaks of drizzle or light rain, 3-5 mms rain possible, highs 15-17 C.

TONIGHT ... Overcast, drizzle or light rain in some parts of south and west, lows around 10 C.

TUESDAY ... Increasing cloud east, showers or periods of rain southwest spreading further east, somewhat lighter rainfalls than with recent disturbances, 5-10 mms on average, north may stay largely dry, highs around 17 C. Some chance of a thunderstorm south-central towards inland southeast by afternoon.

WEDNESDAY ... Mostly cloudy, warm and increasingly humid, some scattered outbreaks of light rain or drizzle followed by hazy sunshine in a few parts of the south, lows 12-15 C and highs 18-22 C.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY ... Sunny intervals, very warm. Coastal fog or low cloud, but most places should be bright and sunny with highs possibly reaching 25 C or thereabouts, 18-22 C closer to south and east coasts in weak sea breezes.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK ... The warm spell will break down from the south and there could be heavy showers or even thunderstorms with this on Saturday and more likely on Sunday as the full impact of cooler air is felt. Highs will be about 21 C on Saturday and 17 C on Sunday. Following that, the pattern goes back to the more familiar summer-2012 pattern of slow-moving frontal systems from the west.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY ... Cloudy with a few sunny breaks, showers at times for most regions, but only one or two heavier isolated thundershowers. Highs about 21 in the south to 17 C Scotland and Wales, 19 C northern England.

TONIGHT ... Cloudy, misty in places, a few patches of light rain or drizzle, lows around 11 C.

TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY ... Warming up gradually with a lot of cloud, outbreaks of rain that could become thundery in Wales and north-central England, as temperatures rise to 23-26 C in the south, 18-22 C further north.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY ... Hot in most of the south, very warm as far north as parts of Scotland, highs 27-32 C inland, 22-25 C coastal. Showers will develop in Scotland and Wales by about Saturday afternoon/evening and will spread further east.

OUTLOOK ... Turning cooler in stages over the weekend, then back to a rather bland showery pattern again.

North American forecasts

Showers in parts of the coastal northeast, fair and less humid (27 C) in the Great Lakes and inland northeast. Hot and dry in parts of the south central states, isolated storms central plains. Hot and dry across most of the west well north into western Canada, isolated thunderstorms over the central prairies, but highs 33-39 C across much of the region, trending to 45 C in the desert southwest.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Sunday) was sunny and hot, with a high near 32 and Monday is expected to be partly cloudy and about 28 C as a weak push of marine air begins to mix with this hot, dry air mass. As a result, there could be an isolated thunderstorm in view over the nearby mountains although I expect it will remain dry here.

M.T. Cranium · 07-08-2012 06:18AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Tuesday, 7 August, 2012
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Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Increasing cloud east, showers or periods of rain southwest spreading further east across Munster and south Leinster, 5-15 mms on average, most of the north may stay largely dry, with isolated light showers or drizzle, and highs around 17 C. Some chance of a thunderstorm south-central towards inland southeast by mid-day or early afternoon.

TONIGHT ... Cloudy, mild, humid, some further rain likely at times in the south spreading into central counties towards morning, lows 11-14 C.

WEDNESDAY ... Mostly cloudy, warm and increasingly humid, some scattered outbreaks of light rain or drizzle followed by hazy sunshine in a few parts of the south, and highs 18-22 C.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY ... Sunny intervals, very warm. Coastal fog or low cloud, but most places should be bright and sunny with highs possibly reaching 25 C or thereabouts, 18-22 C closer to south and east coasts in weak sea breezes.

FRIDAY NIGHT could have some clear intervals for the folks who want to see the Perseids meteor shower. Cloud will be increasing slowly from the south except for thick low cloud near the south coast. Lows through the warm spell should remain above 10 C although it could briefly drop to 7-9 C just before dawn.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK ... The warm spell will break down from the south and there could be heavy showers or even thunderstorms with this on Saturday and more likely on Sunday as the full impact of cooler air is felt. Highs will be about 21 C on Saturday (warmer north as the Atlantic air spreads in from the south, so highs could be 23 C in south Donegal or north Connacht and 15 C in Kerry) and 14-17 C on Sunday. Following that, the pattern goes back to the more familiar summer-2012 pattern of slow-moving frontal systems from the west.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY ... Warming up gradually with a lot of cloud, outbreaks of rain that could become thundery in Wales and north-central England, as temperatures rise to 22-24 C in the south, 18-22 C further north. Further rain TONIGHT with lows around 15 C then hazy sunshine in places tomorrow, still some rain about in Wales and north-central England, highs to 25 C south and 19-22 C central, 17-19 C Scotland.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY ... Hot in most of the south, very warm as far north as parts of Scotland, highs 27-32 C inland, 22-25 C coastal. Showers will develop in Scotland and Wales by about Saturday afternoon/evening and will spread further east.

OUTLOOK ... Turning cooler in stages over the weekend, then back to a rather bland showery pattern again.

North American forecasts

Western heat will be somewhat modified near the coast by a weak push of cooler marine air but a heat wave will continue inland especially in the Pacific northwest states, and also the desert southwest will remain very hot. This heat extends into the south central plains states with more seasonable warmth further north as weak fronts separate the heat from more average temperatures. This weak front becomes more active in the Great Lakes region where one or two heavy storms could develop later. The southeast remains hot and humid with widespread showers and a few storms.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Monday) was partly cloudy in the morning with temperatures about 25 C by mid-day, then a weak front developed with a lot of mid-level cloud, sprinkles of rain (heavier over the north shore mountains) followed by clearing and somewhat fresher by evening at 20 C. This week is likely to stay warmer than average and mostly dry with a mix of cloud and sun, highs in the 23-26 C range.

M.T. Cranium · 08-08-2012 06:13AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Wednesday, 8 August, 2012
___________________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Mostly cloudy, warm and increasingly humid, some scattered outbreaks of light rain or drizzle followed by hazy sunshine in a few parts of the south, and highs 18-22 C. Further rainfalls about 3-5 mms in a few places but mainly trace to 2 mm amounts.

TONIGHT ... Very humid and misty to foggy, some clear intervals especially well inland and over higher terrain. Lows 11-14 C.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY ... Sunny intervals, very warm. Coastal fog or low cloud, but most places should be bright and sunny with highs possibly reaching 25 C or thereabouts, 18-22 C closer to south and east coasts in weak sea breezes. Potential for 27-29 C in west if it remains sunny all day.

FRIDAY NIGHT could have some clear intervals for the folks who want to see the Perseids meteor shower. Cloud will be increasing slowly from the south except for thick low cloud near the south coast. Lows through the warm spell should remain above 10 C although it could briefly drop to 7-9 C just before dawn.

SATURDAY ... Somewhat cooler especially in south and southwest, outbreaks of light rain in west Munster, slight risk of thunderstorms developing west-central to southeast along a slowly advancing front. Highs 22-25 C in north, 18-22 C central, 15-17 C south and southwest.

SATURDAY NIGHT may also have some clear intervals in eastern and northern counties as the push of cooler air may become quite weak, the front could begin to dissipate before redeveloping on Sunday. In general, I would say the chances of clear skies are about 60% on Friday night and 40% on Saturday night in the region near Dublin where observers might be most interested in viewing the Perseids.

SUNDAY ... Becoming mostly cloudy, extensive showers or thunderstorms possible, although there may be some places with warm sunshine also. Winds having backed into the southeast may now begin to return to southerly, highs around 20 C in some places, 15-17 C closer to south and west coasts.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Showery or periods of rain developing early next week as temperatures sink back into the high teens (16-18 C). Eventually a more variable showery regime will return.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY ... Periods of rain across the south this morning, foggy, turning warmer with some improvement especially south central and southwest counties, as the rain edges further north. Highs 21-24 C south, 18-21 C central. Variable cloud, highs 16-18 C in northern England and Scotland.

TONIGHT ... Warm and humid in the south, one or two brief showers, lows 14 to 17 C. Fog developing especially near southwest coasts. Cloudy, misty further north, lows 13-15 C.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY ... Sunny intervals in most regions, very warm to hot, although much cooler close to the North Sea coasts. Highs generally 27-31 C but could be held to 15-18 C close to the North Sea, trending to 23-26 C in northern Scotland inland, 14-16 C coastal.

OUTLOOK ... Staying hot over the weekend in southeast England, showery further west, turning a bit cooler.

North American forecasts

Showers and thunderstorms developing across large parts of western Canada and also western Great Lakes, very warm and humid south of these frontal zones, with further heavy showers in the southeast and Gulf coast regions, hot and dry around OK-AR-TN. Ernesto briefly became a hurricane and hit the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico about 0300h (UTC) and will re-emerge late today into the Gulf of Mexico's southern Bay of Campeche making for a second landfall near Veracruz Mexico later this week.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Tuesday) ... We actually had some weather :eek: to report, frequent rather intense thunderstorms developed this evening after a bland, partly cloudy day with a high of 24 C. These storms formed along a weak warm front that stalled through the region and became a sea-breeze convergence boundary. Not much wind or hail reported, but frequent intense lightning and some downpours although it seems like maybe 15 mms at most. It is unusual to see forked lightning in this region, quite often we will go the whole year with just a couple of brief thundershowers embedded in fronts, and this is perhaps the third time in 15 years that I've recorded a proper thunderstorm here. Could see more of this tomorrow as nothing much is moving on the larger scale.

M.T. Cranium · 09-08-2012 05:56AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Thursday, 9 August, 2012
___________________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Extensive low cloud or fog, mist this morning, likely to give way to hazy sunshine reasonably early in all but east-coast and south-coast locations where some places may remain "socked in" by fog and drizzle, but in transitional zones some sunshine will break through at times. Temperatures will reach 23-25 C well inland and towards the west coast (where sea breezes could still develop locally as gradient wind is weak). Transitional zones, including much of Dublin and Meath, likely to reach about 20-21 C while some coastal zones around the southeast and south will be held to about 15-18 C. Light winds, and very slight risk of a localized shower near sea breeze boundaries.

TONIGHT ... Clear skies may give way to low cloud and mist again, mild with lows about 13-16 C for most places, could fall to 10 C in some valleys.

FRIDAY ... Broadly similar regional pattern to today although perhaps a stronger sun and even higher maximum temperatures in some cases, highs may reach 25-28 C west-central. The east coast sea breeze may be less of a factor as winds become slightly more southerly there. South coast likely to remain "socked in" with fog and drizzle. Highs in that zone about 15-17 C.

FRIDAY NIGHT ... Some clear intervals, especially over higher terrain, low cloud and drizzle may spread inland across south with light rain in parts of Kerry, Cork, Waterford (trace to 2 mms). Lows about 12 C on average.

SATURDAY ... Somewhat cooler especially in south and southwest, outbreaks of light rain in west Munster, slight risk of thunderstorms developing west-central to southeast along a slowly advancing front. Continued rather warm in Ulster, east Connacht and north Leinster, with highs 22-25 C in north, 18-22 C central, but only 15-17 C south and southwest.

SATURDAY NIGHT may also have some clear intervals in eastern and northern counties as the push of cooler air may become quite weak, the front could begin to dissipate before redeveloping on Sunday. In general, I would say the chances of clear skies are about 60% on Friday night and 40% on Saturday night in the region near Dublin where observers might be most interested in viewing the Perseids.

SUNDAY ... Becoming mostly cloudy, extensive showers or thunderstorms possible, although there may be some places with warm sunshine also. Winds having backed into the southeast may now begin to return to southerly, highs around 20 C in some places, 15-17 C closer to south and west coasts.

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... Showery or periods of rain developing early next week as temperatures sink back into the high teens (16-18 C). Eventually a more variable showery regime will return. The longer term looks relatively warm again, and it's possible that all periods will turn out a bit warmer as the push of cool Atlantic air may be rather weak this time. However, there also remains some chance of a full return to the drab conditions of mid-July.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY ... Hazy sunshine developing, although mostly cloudy for at least the morning in some western counties. Low cloud and fog may drift inland from North Sea, but many places will clear to warm sunshine and highs 24-27 C. Under more persistent cloud, 20-23 C and near cooler coastal sea-breeze areas about 17-20 C.

TONIGHT ... Hazy, becoming misty or foggy and close, lows 14-17 C. This will trend to cooler, clear conditions in parts of the inland north with lows 8-11 C in some valleys. Dense fog could develop especially close to east coast.

FRIDAY ... Sunny intervals in most regions, very warm to hot, although much cooler close to the North Sea coasts. Highs generally 27-31 C but could be held to 15-18 C close to the North Sea, trending to 23-26 C in northern Scotland inland, 14-16 C coastal.

OUTLOOK ... Staying hot over the weekend in southeast England, showery further west with some heavy thunderstorms developing by Sunday in areas like Bristol and Bournemouth, Salisbury plain, Thames valley; turning a bit cooler especially west of London to Nottingham, but much of next week could stay a little warmer than average with highs 22-24 C.

North American forecasts

Heavy thunderstorms in parts of western Canada, very warm and humid. Warm and dry further south across most of the western half of the U.S. and southern parts of western Canada. Heavy rain developing in the central Great Lakes region, with a two-day total of 50-100 mms perhaps reviving hopes for a decent outcome to the growing season in some drought-affected regions although hopes have already faded further south where it remains hot and dry. Extensive showers and periods of rain in the southeast. Ernesto has crossed the Yucatan and is rolling west along the Gulf coast of Mexico towards a final landfall (if it ever gets back out to sea) near Veracruz.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Wednesday) was cloudy with afternoon sunny breaks, rather dark skies at times but no showers today, highs near 23 C. Further inland there was an outbreak of heavy thunderstorms from remnants of what we saw on Tuesday.

Enjoy the warm spell, hope it works out at least partially close to the east coast too.

M.T. Cranium · 10-08-2012 06:04AM

Important: Please note legal disclaimer published once a month, can be seen at bottom of post 2565 dated 24 July 2012.

Friday, 10 August, 2012
___________________________________________

Forecasts for Ireland

TODAY ... Patchy morning cloud or mist, then hazy sunshine for most places, very warm or hot with highs 23 to 27 C. East coast slightly cooler near the shore, south coast may stay in the low cloud and fog much of the morning but could clear at times to warmer sunshine later, highs 19-22 C. Some high cloud will be dimming the sun at times in the afternoon in west, but strong sunshine in many parts could burn in 20-30 mins without protection.

TONIGHT ... Some clear intervals, especially over higher terrain, low cloud and drizzle may spread inland across south with light rain in parts of Kerry, Cork, Waterford (trace to 2 mms). Lows about 12 C on average. Moderate southeast winds developing in southern counties, rain spreading slowly towards southeast counties by early morning hours.

SATURDAY ... Somewhat cooler especially in south and southwest, outbreaks of light rain in west Munster, slight risk of thunderstorms developing west-central to southeast along a slowly advancing (to northeast) front. Rainfalls of 5-10 mms in some parts of Munster, south Leinster. Continued rather warm in Ulster, east Connacht and north Leinster, with highs 22-25 C in north, 18-22 C central, but only 15-17 C south and southwest.

SATURDAY NIGHT may also have some clear intervals with lows 8-11 C in eastern and northern counties as the push of cooler air may become quite weak, the front could begin to dissipate before redeveloping on Sunday. In general, I would say the chances of clear skies are about 60% on Friday night and 40% on Saturday night in the region near Dublin where observers might be most interested in viewing the Perseids. Sunday night is more likely to be extensively overcast.

SUNDAY ... Becoming mostly cloudy, extensive showers or thunderstorms possible, although there may be some places with warm sunshine also. Winds having backed into the southeast may now begin to return to southerly, highs around 21 C in some places, 15-17 C closer to south and west coasts.

MONDAY to WEDNESDAY ... Showery with some intervals of heavier rain possible, also a risk of strong SW winds developing with a small but intense low indicated on some model charts moving north to northeast across western counties around Tuesday. Temperatures will remain rather mild especially at night (typically lows near 12 C and highs near 17 C).

FURTHER OUTLOOK ... The longer term looks relatively warm again, and it's possible that all periods will turn out a bit warmer as the push of cool Atlantic air may be rather weak this time. However, I still think that there is also some chance of a full return to the drab conditions of mid-July. Have seen a few charts in about two weeks that look warm to hot again, so perhaps this month will be a departure from recent years after all.

Forecasts for Britain

TODAY ... I should have mentioned fast moving bolts for Thursday

but today is likely to be hot in most places, with any morning cloud or mist rapidly giving way to almost clear skies, just the usual slight cooling near some coasts and in the far north. For almost all other locations in Britain, expect highs 27-32 C and light winds. Some east coast fog and highs 20-23 C.

TONIGHT ... Hazy, becoming misty or foggy and close, lows 15-18 C. This will trend to cooler, clear conditions in parts of the inland north with lows 8-12 C in some valleys. Dense fog could develop especially close to east coast.

SATURDAY ... Increasing cloud west, some late showers or isolated thunderstorms, highs 23-27 C. Sunny again in the east until quite late afternoon or evening, hot with highs 27-30 C. Isolated heavy or severe evening thunderstorms may move north from France. (by the way Friday-Saturday in northern France could reach 35 C).

OUTLOOK ... Staying hot over the weekend in southeast England, showery further west with some heavy thunderstorms developing by Sunday in areas like Bristol and Bournemouth, Salisbury plain, Thames valley; turning a bit cooler especially west of London to Nottingham, but much of next week could stay a little warmer than average with highs 22-24 C. Heavy rains likely at times in Wales and Scotland, northern England mid-week.

North American forecasts

Heavy rainfalls continuing in parts of the lower Great Lakes and inland northeast, 30-60 mms could be recorded in places. Fairly dry in central regions with seasonably warm temperatures, trending to hot further west. Scattered but isolated thunderstorms over Rockies and parts of western Canada. Very hot in the southwest trending to near normal in coastal California due to strong sea breezes. Ernesto will slowly die over Mexico while dropping torrential rains. "Gordon" could form later today or Saturday near Cape Verde, heading for the Caribbean in 4-5 days. Florence came and went without doing much, a remnant low is north of Puerto Rico.

MTC's LOCAL WEATHER (Thursday) was sunny and warm, highs near 23 C. About the same as Galway as it turned out.

Your daily forecasts from Boards.ie weather forum (NO CHAT)

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