THIS TIME last year Fermanagh was basking in record-breaking temperatures. This week the temperatures could again break records, but not in the way we would like, and predictions are  summer will not arrive here until August. 

According to Peter O’Donnell at Irish Weather Online, temperatures will be around two degrees below average this week, it will be windier than normal for the time of year, and in some places there could be twice if not three times the rainfall for the time of year. On top of that, we will likely have around half the normal sunshine levels, with only about three hours a day on average. 

“Friday and Saturday will be unsettled but another spell of heavy rain could develop by Sunday 9th,” he said. “The weather appears likely to remain unsettled into the following week but there could be brief spells of much warmer weather with that.” 

These predictions by Mr O’Donnell, a climatologist who makes predictions based on weather patterns, are backed up by the meteorologists at Met Eireann. According to the national forecaster the low pressure which has been keeping our weather damp and miserable will continue to dominate for the rest of the week and into next weekend, though there may be an increasing number of dry spells in the coming days. 

While Mr O’Donnell, who is known for correctly warning of the extreme winters in 2009 and 2010, expects the rest of June and into July to continue to be “average” and even “bland”, he does have some more promising predictions. 

“I believe a warmer trend will set in for August and early September which may be warmer than average and reasonably dry with the possibility of isolated heavy thunderstorm rainfalls,” he said. 

“At this point I don’t think it will be a lot different from the long-term average but that may make for a reasonably pleasant summer.”