Karl Mehlhorn.

Our summers are to get even wetter says Killucan weatherman

It came as no surprise to most of us to learn that last month was the wettest June on record.

Weatherman Karl Mehlhorn recorded a total of 173.6mm of rainfall at his Killucan weather base, when the average for June is just 71mm!

And it's all because the Jetstream is currently over Ireland and that is causing high humidity, giving rise to moisture in the air.

So while the temperature gauge reaches the high teens and low 20s, it feels much hotter.

"It's the opposite of the wind chill factor," explains Karl, "It's what's called the humidex, which is making it feel even warmer these last couple of weeks.

"July is typically dry and warm, but we are locked in this Jetstream pattern called the Azores High, which is basically high pressure. What we need now is for it to buckle and move northwards, up as far as Iceland, so that way we could enjoy the lovely crystal clear blue skies we would normally associate with this time of year."

On Monday of this week, Karl recorded a staggering 106mm/hr of rain, while in just four minutes that same day, six millimetres of rain fell, causing flash flooding.

The bad news, according to Karl, is that this type of unseasonal weather looks set to become a common trend.

"The new weather period that we take our recordings from stretches from 1981 to 2010. And there is a steady upward trend of rainy summers. As is the trend that our winters and springtime are getting warmer and dryer," he said.

And yes, you guessed it! The forecast for the rest of the week is for more showers, with intermittent spells of sunshine (if we're lucky!).

Happy holidays!

www.irlweather.com

• Teagasc weather clinics

June rainfall was 135% up to 300% of normal. Due to the ongoing bad weather huge numbers of farmers are seeking advice on how to deal with poor ground conditions and poor grass utilisation.

In many situations silage has not been cut and the crop has deteriorated significantly.

Teagasc appreciates that every farm is different and that some farms are under more pressure than others. Teagasc notes that while ground conditions on drier land improve quite quickly at this time of year the forecast of further rain will put back silage making and result in more cattle being housed.

In response to the current difficulties, Teagasc is offering advice to its clients in the normal way. In addition, Teagasc advisers will conduct advisory clinics in all offices on Friday July 6, 11am-1pm, to assist farmers to cope with weather related problems.

The invitation extends to all farmer clients and non clients.

Contact your Teagasc office for details of clinics.

www.teagasc.ie