Comments on the boards.ie daily forecast ( > 1,000,000 views )

I check it most days - it's my favourite weather forecast. Thanks MTC, much appreciated.

El Horseboxo wrote: »

I rarely post in here and I use it as my forecast. Most days I even post the link up on facebook so a lot of mates check it out too that don't even have accounts here. Very detailed, highly accurate despite our often difficult to predict weather and most importantly much appreciated. Fair play MT.

i do the very same thing!
he's a very well valued member on this site

Thanks for the thought that went into starting this thread and for the comments. I expect occasions where my forecasts might not emerge 100% unscathed, but also, when you have differences of opinion as we've seen this week, quite often the outcome lies somewhere in between, or at least you can see how the two different concepts might be blended into a more suitable mixture.

Stepping back a little just to comment in general, first of all the comment about no pay ... technically true, but I have seen some reasons for optimism in my parallel involvement with "Irish Weather Online" which in itself requires almost no additional work for me. But above and beyond that, I justify the effort simply on the basis of the friendly reaction of the Irish weather community over two or three years, which has made a rather minor commitment of time and effort very worthwhile.

Some have heard this before, but I can repeat the idea that the original concept of the thread "Your daily forecast from boards.ie" was actually meant to become a forum where boards members would discuss forecasts and keep a sort of running commentary that amounted to daily forecasts. For a while, it functioned somewhat like that but it attracted a few "trolls" who wanted to go into endless discussions of would a raindrop hit my windowpane at 1748 GMT and if not would I jump off a tall building in remorse?

That became somewhat tiresome as I was getting badly hurt jumping off the tall building every other day, so we narrowed the focus to daily forecasts take them or leave them. The number who have chosen to take them sometimes staggers my imagination. I had no preconceived notion of becoming some sort of Irish weather "source" and find the situation a challenge and at times a bit surreal since I am so far away and my own daily weather is sometimes so different that I have to make that effort to get into your head space and try to consider what terms will mean, what's going on locally and meso-scale, and also what range of possible outcomes there could be, since the effort is always to land somewhere near the middle of the target zone in these night-time jumps into dark terrain (it is so much easier to forecast the afternoon from the morning, than the day from the night).

Anyway, just thought I would mention those rather random thoughts. I'm hoping that a more rational basis for these efforts will eventually appear, because there would have to be a thought given to either retirement or delegation of part of the week to other forecasters. I've actually enjoyed this novel experiment of trying to forecast non-stop with just a few holiday breaks but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, it's just something that I got into doing on a smaller U.K. forum and so I was already up to speed when I jumped in here. It becomes a bit taxing on the mind when the weather gets stuck in a rut or fails to inspire. The more active, dynamic days that come along are easier to "get up" for and this is entirely a problem of being the sort of lone ranger that I am, I would imagine that shift work in a larger group setting would make the boring weather days a lot easier to take (thinking that oh well somebody's paying me to look at this dull easterly drizzle). :cool:

By the way, I am about to take a 2-week holiday in mid-August (hooray) and I believe that Su Campu will be providing you with your daily feed, so be to nice to him and don't throw stuff at him. He may actually have some clue what's going on as well, which can only be helpful.

I don't post that often but i do check M.Ts forecast everyday without failure. I find them very accurate and i think we are very lucky to have someone like M.T forecasting our weather. Well done and thanks M.T for all the hard work you put in.

Yeah great forecasts and check them most mornings but mostly in winter as that's my favourite time of the year.

MT, You rock! (need I say more?)

M.T. Cranium wrote: »

THURSDAY-SATURDAY ... Remnants of Irene tracking to the northwest and north of Donegal may bring frequent showers and stronger winds again, from the south at first then veering more westerly.

I knew the underground bunker would come in handy :pac:

Thats where I went on my honeymoon many moons ago.

Tucson and Sedona are great for thunderstorms

If that comes true for Donegal bay it will be an interesting day

will be interesting to see that storm develop. someone should set a thread up on it or maybe its already set up and i dont see it

Looks like ME is getting in on the act now too, theres an article in the Donegal post.
A rep from ME said
"Once the hurricane reaches the Atlantic Ocean it turns into a storm.
A hurricane only feeds on temperatures higher than 20 degrees centigrade.
Having said this,it is possible its remnants will hit the N Atlantic Area but we cannot pinpoint where and when at this stage"

dsmythy wrote: »

Hinted at on the main page too.

"There'll be further showers on Saturday night. Winds ease somewhat for a time early Sunday. However, a deep Atlantic storm travelling northeastwards to the North of Scotland is likely to bring extremely windy weather over Ireland during Sunday night and into Monday morning; with the strongest winds in the northwest and north of the country"

Good looking. :cool:

Never saw this thread before, so there, MT thanks for the daily forecasts, I hardly ever check ME anymore, but look forward to your more accurate predictions.



pssstt... come on everyone, thank him NOW, he might just come up with more snow or somethin'.

MTs comment has already made the media.
http://www.donegaldaily.com/2011/10/04/breaking-news-snow-on-way-to-donegal-hills-forecasters/

I see a large HP will build to our South next week giving a period of rather mild settled weather - well and good but why the hell do we not get this anymore during summer proper!!

PS: I'll be glad to see the back of 2011 weatherwise - its been utterly dull in every sense of the word!!:(:rolleyes:

Pangea wrote: »

MTs comment has already made the media.
http://www.donegaldaily.com/2011/10/04/breaking-news-snow-on-way-to-donegal-hills-forecasters/

Even they manage to turn risk of snow into 'snow on the way!' and cooler weather to 'shuddering shivering end'.

just wanted to say a big thank you to mt its my first port of call every morning dont get time to post here at that time, but really enjoy the severe weather days, thank you mt keep up the great work.

Thanks for comments and feedback, clearly nobody in his right mind would do what I am doing, so it helps that I am in fact not in my right mind.

If boards.ie will permit, these forecasts should continue to appear at least through the coming winter season. Perhaps eventually it might be humane to reduce this effort to fewer regular forecasts, with concentration on the more active and unusual weather events.

I hope somebody spots some snow on a hilltop on Thursday, that would be nice. With the Irish media, I don't mind a little "embellishment" because at least they don't go off the deep end like the UK media with their "hurricane to destroy half of Britain" type of headlines every time a 70 mph wind gust could possibly occur. As to winds of >50 mph, well there's always Malin Head.