2005: year of tornadoes, floods and sunbursts

SEARING images of commuters stuck in snowdrifts, cars upended by a mini-tornado, flooded homes and sun-baked summer days suggest a year dominated by extremes of weather in Ireland.

But, according to Met Eireann, the country enjoyed relatively stable and mild weather in 2005.

“It was a fairly decent year over all,” said Met Eireann meteorologist and forecaster Gerry Murphy.