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Are there too many weather warnings?

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    #32
    Odelay
    Registered Users Posts: 3,783 ✭✭✭Odelay


    NIMAN wrote: »
    Agree, think they are crying Wolf too often regarding these warnings.

    But the snowflakes need protecting, don't they?

    Can you give me a couple of examples of warnings met eireann got wrong?


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    #33
    Gaoth Laidir
    Registered Users Posts: 8,219 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    I think issuing a "warning" for <3 cm of snow is laughable (not the fault of Met Éireann but the fact that <3 cm causes such panic in this country). I think there should be something like an "advisory" rather than a warning.


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    #34
    Speak Now
    Registered Users Posts: 8,504 ✭✭✭Speak Now


    Gaoth Laidir wrote: »
    I think issuing a "warning" for <3 cm of snow is laughable (not the fault of Met Éireann but the fact that <3 cm causes such panic in this country). I think there should be something like an "advisory" rather than a warning.

    I would see the yellow warnings as just that. Media loves an oul warning though. Often you'd head on the radio that met Eireann has issued a rainfall warning for 12 counties or so. No mention of colour or counties!


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    #35
    NIMAN
    Registered Users Posts: 32,977 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    Odelay wrote: »
    Can you give me a couple of examples of warnings met eireann got wrong?

    How do you measure right or wrong?

    They have issued a yellow warning for snow and ice for tonight for example. So what? In my opinion, unless it's very deep and it means we can't move around the roads, then we don't need a warning. We had snow before and no warnings.

    How will tonight's warning be judged a s a success for you?


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    #36
    Roger_007
    Registered Users Posts: 21,886 ✭✭✭✭Roger_007


    WEATHER WARNING......issued by Met Eireann, (colour optional).

    "Weather will be unusually normal for the next couple of days. There may be some frost and a millimetre or two of snow, (especially on high ground).There may also be some rain and wind.
    At this stage we expect the weather may become EXTREMELY normal later in the week. People are strongly advised to take the necessary precautions.


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    #37
    Donegal Storm
    Registered Users Posts: 2,023 ✭✭✭Donegal Storm


    NIMAN wrote: »
    How do you measure right or wrong?

    They have issued a yellow warning for snow and ice for tonight for example. So what? In my opinion, unless it's very deep and it means we can't move around the roads, then we don't need a warning. We had snow before and no warnings.

    How will tonight's warning be judged a s a success for you?

    3cm of snow generally means people can't move about away from main routes, it also leads to icy and potentially dangerous conditions. Issuing a warning telling the public to be aware of these conditions is hardly controversial.

    Same goes for rainfall that leads to flooding as happened on Christmas Day, telling road users to be aware of potential flooding and standing water is entirely reasonable and responsible


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    #38
    M.T. Cranium
    Registered Users Posts: 14,326 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    I haven't formed a very solid opinion of which system is better, maybe this one is, but in North America there are no "levels" of weather warnings, you just get a warning followed by the numerical estimates. The criteria for lowest level warnings are about the same. In rare instances you might get a Fujita scale number attached to a tornado warning. Otherwise, if it's to be a 160 km/hr wind gust, then that's the number attached to the warning, no colour code, no levels.

    People here also complain that there are too many warnings and that it leads to lowering of expectations before big events. I think the advantage to your system is that somebody has done the estimate for the user as to level of severity. Here, it's more like a scramble to recall what 120 km/hr gusts do to power grids and trees, or if 10 cm of snow will be manageable for the drive to work.

    So I think I would vote to retain the levels and the colour codes, and I do think all three are needed, some seem to think maybe level one (yellow) is too tame to bother about, but two things come to mind -- a level one can escalate to a level two so if you raise the bar, that kind of level two will just happen without warning, and also, some users need this information even though for most people impacts may be minor or "nuisance" variety, for example, trucking companies will want to alert their drivers to level one wind gusts if they think they might be crosswinds. Minor snowfalls in lowland areas can translate to actionable problems for those few folk who live higher up.

    The worst snow for accidents is light snow, partly because people tend to think they can keep driving at or near posted speed limits, in heavier snow, you can't anyway and if you do lose control you probably won't be going fast enough to do much damage or injure yourself. I find that 2-5 cms is probably the most dangerous snowfall range in actuarial terms, whether it is for you personally depends on where you drive and how experienced you are.


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    #39
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,796 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    Those that dont suffer any loss or damage will always say they cried wolf. Thankfully a very small percentage of homes, businesses and farms do suffer loss in extreme weather, at any level.

    However try telling those living in exposed or precarious locations that the warnings are too liberal, theyd much rather be safe than sorry.

    Two fellas died the other night because of swollen river conditions in a location they apparently knew like the back of their hand -yellow warning in place. Three died during Ophelia from exactly the sort of hazards we were told to anticipate - red warning in place. All tragic, all localised, but all borne out by the warnings.

    The current system is exactly fit for purpose, if people retain perspective and dont wait around to be victims of some incident just to be proven right.


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    #40
    Oops69
    Registered Users Posts: 5,477 ✭✭✭Oops69


    I think the warning system is fine as long as the person knows the difference in grading between yellow , amber and red , unfortunately most of the news headline writers seem to be colour blind and just see ' weather warning ' sans colours .


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    #41
    ZX7R
    Registered Users Posts: 3,426 ✭✭✭ZX7R


    I think since met eireann joined meteo alarm, they are issuing weather warning to easily especially yellow warnings and adviceary, also social media has a put a lot of pressure on them also. maybe they are right as it is more for foreign travellers,
    But I also think they rely on the weather charts too much lacking a bit of local human input, as in they would have more knowledge of how weather plays out in Ireland. For me if you look at the weather charts from yesterday there weather warnings were just issued almost as a carbon copy of them and the warnings changed as often as the charts changed


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    #42
    Liffey4A
    Registered Users Posts: 154 ✭✭Liffey4A


    I've no issue with the current colour coded warning system BUT recently I overhead a conversation between two elderly gentlemen and one said he wasn't going to some function because he heard there's a weather warning.

    The fact that the warning was for the West Coast and he's on the East Coast didn't come into the conversation, he was just worried because he heard of the warning.

    Probably not alot you can do with this situation but I do think older people are overly concerned when they hear warnings when a lot of the time they don't understand them.


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    #43
    nacho libre
    Registered Users Posts: 16,637 ✭✭✭✭nacho libre


    NIMAN wrote: »
    How do you measure right or wrong?

    They have issued a yellow warning for snow and ice for tonight for example. So what? In my opinion, unless it's very deep and it means we can't move around the roads, then we don't need a warning. We had snow before and no warnings.

    How will tonight's warning be judged a s a success for you?

    If we could see the stats for traffic accidents in years gone by where no warning were given in affected areas, i wonder would the amounts be less now. I know of roads around here that are not treated. With no met eireann warning you might have unsuspecting people passing through getting caught out on such roads, particularly if there is swift transition to colder conditions following a rainfall. I know of a guy who lost life near here in such a scenario. So to me these warning are warranted, as they can save lives and help people avoid serious injury.


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    #44
    Gaoth Laidir
    Registered Users Posts: 8,219 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    There are too many yellow warnings being issued now imo. It's almost a daily occurrence, and for mostly standard winter weather. Today, for example, "Ice-Snow" warning means what exactly? Ice (frost) or snow? I would not be issuing an official warning for frost. Snow, maybe, but even then it would want to be at low levels and not on hills or mountains.

    Warnings should be for unusual, hazardous weather, not weather that we expect. Mention hard frost in the forecast alright, but no need for a warning.


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    #45
    Roger_007
    Registered Users Posts: 21,886 ✭✭✭✭Roger_007


    Gaoth Laidir wrote: »
    There are too many yellow warnings being issued now imo. It's almost a daily occurrence, and for mostly standard winter weather. Today, for example, "Ice-Snow" warning means what exactly? Ice (frost) or snow? I would not be issuing an official warning for frost. Snow, maybe, but even then it would want to be at low levels and not on hills or mountains.

    Warnings should be for unusual, hazardous weather, not weather that we expect. Mention hard frost in the forecast alright, but no need for a warning.

    Agreed. There is no need for any colour of warnings for what is normal winter weather.
    I think that the Met service should just tell us what weather we can expect for the next couple of days and let us make up our own minds about what that means for us.
    Beyond two or three days the forecasts become so inaccurate that they are useless anyway, so I don't know why they even bother forecasting for a week ahead.


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    #46
    Realt Dearg Sec
    Registered Users Posts: 10,822 ✭✭✭✭Realt Dearg Sec


    PukkaStukka wrote: »
    a yellow rainfall warning .
    I don't know about anyone else, but if there's going to be yellow rainfall I'll always want a warning.


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    #47
    Clonmel1000
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,047 ✭✭✭Clonmel1000


    It’s not only met eireann that needs to calm down in fairness. The internet in general and I include this forum gets carried away far to easily.


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    #48
    fraxinus1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 240 ✭✭fraxinus1


    What a farce these yellow warnings have become. I ignore them now. So do most people. The whole qualification criteria per colour code needs to be reviewed.

    I suggest a yellow kicks in if winds are going to be 120kmph to 140kmph. An orange if it’s 140kmph to 160kmph and a red only if gusts are likely to exceed 160kmph. (That would be incredibly rare)

    For snowfall, a yellow warning kicks in if falls exceeding 5cm on low ground expected. The orange for 15cm or more and red for 30cm on low ground (not high ground where heavy falls occur most winter and few folk live).

    Rainfall; yellow if 50mm to 60mm expected, orange if 60 to 100mm and a red if totals over 100mm are likely.

    Low temperature warnings not necessary unless it’s going to hit -10 and high temperature warning only required if it’s going to exceed 30 degrees

    The whole thing is losing the run of itself. Like I recently saw low temperature warnings for -4!!


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    #49
    GhostyMcGhost
    Registered Users Posts: 1,349 ✭✭✭GhostyMcGhost


    More today.... it’s cold out, bit windy but hardly unexpected this time of the year


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    #50
    ninebeanrows
    Registered Users Posts: 12,778 ✭✭✭✭ninebeanrows


    GhostyMcGhost wrote: »
    More today.... it’s cold out, bit windy but hardly unexpected this time of the year

    Have ya read when the warning is for???


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    #51
    GhostyMcGhost
    Registered Users Posts: 1,349 ✭✭✭GhostyMcGhost


    Weathercheck wrote: »
    Have ya read when the warning is for???

    Yup. My county


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    #52
    thomasj
    Registered Users Posts: 4,785 ✭✭✭thomasj


    GhostyMcGhost wrote:
    Yup. My county

    That's not what he asked


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    #53
    JCX BXC
    Registered Users Posts: 18,105 ✭✭✭✭JCX BXC


    It's hardly surprising people think there's too many warnings when people can't even manage to read them.

    As I posted in another thread, a yellow warning is only something to be aware of if you're particularly vulnerable to it, vast majority of the populace are fine once it's simply kept in mind eg don't go up a mountain, don't leave your bins in a wind liable area if you're particularly affected by winds. You don't have to do anything normally until an ORANGE warning.


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    #54
    Roger_007
    Registered Users Posts: 21,886 ✭✭✭✭Roger_007


    JCX BXC wrote: »
    It's hardly surprising people think there's too many warnings when people can't even manage to read them.

    As I posted in another thread, a yellow warning is only something to be aware of if you're particularly vulnerable to it, vast majority of the populace are fine once it's simply kept in mind eg don't go up a mountain, don't leave your bins in a wind liable area if you're particularly affected by winds. You don't have to do anything normally until an ORANGE warning.

    Does an ORANGE warning have a different meaning in Norn' Iron'?


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    #55
    fraxinus1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 240 ✭✭fraxinus1


    Jaycornyn wrote: »
    Is there a chance some counties might see a red warning by tomorrow evening?

    I would imagine Met Eireann will be very reluctant to go down the red warning route considering the fact that the last time red warnings were issued for Storm Ophelia, the vast majority of the country didn’t experience any severe weather, leaving Met Eireann looking as having gotten it wrong. Anyway unless winds are going to exceed 160kmph, which they won’t, an orange is sufficient. The current threshold of 130kmph for a red warning is to low in my opinion. Whole warning system needs revision.


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    #56
    murphyebass
    Registered Users Posts: 5,553 ✭✭✭murphyebass


    Yes. It's becoming like the crime threat indicator in American Dad!!!

    Code blue everybody!!!!


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    #57
    Realt Dearg Sec
    Registered Users Posts: 10,822 ✭✭✭✭Realt Dearg Sec


    GhostyMcGhost wrote: »
    Weathercheck wrote: »
    Have ya read when the warning is for???

    Yup. My county
    Ffs.


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    #58
    NollagShona
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,360 ✭✭✭NollagShona


    Didn’t the family of one of the people killed driving during Ex Hurricane Ophelia complain that they didn’t realise how serious it was, and Met reann should issue more warning????

    It was nationwide Red, everywhere was shut down! Did that they think that was for the lolz?


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    #59
    Roger_007
    Registered Users Posts: 21,886 ✭✭✭✭Roger_007


    There was a NATIONAL code ORANGE warning issued yesterday for so-called storm Dylan for Sat night/Sun morning. I checked this morning and there are NO national warnings at all?
    Is there someone in Met Eireann acting the bolix, or what?


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    #60
    Kermit.de.frog
    Registered Users Posts: 23,442 ✭✭✭✭Kermit.de.frog


    They are probably updating.

    There is currently a yellow warning and orange marine warning.


    They need a new website desperately. The current one is dated and warnings should not be offline while being updated.


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    #61
    Gaoth Laidir
    Registered Users Posts: 8,219 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    Kermit.de.frog wrote: »
    They are probably updating.

    There is currently a yellow warning and orange marine warning.


    They need a new website desperately. The current one is dated and warnings should not be offline while being updated.

    The new website is imminent. Hopefully a new warning system too.


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