Weather guru predicts another summer washout

ANYONE hoping for a long hot summer, after a dull, miserable wet winter?

Forget it.

According to an unorthodox but, surprisingly accurate weather forecaster, the summer of 2010 will be much the same as last year.

The maverick weather watcher, who uses the moon and the tides to create long-term forecasts, has seen most of his predictions come to pass.

New Zealander Ken Ring correctly predicted last summer’s mini heat wave at the start of June and was on the money when he calculated that July would be a washout.

He was also accurate in predicting heavy rainfall in November 2009 and January of this year with resultant flooding.

This summer promises to be only a little better than last year, he says.

“Average-to-less summer rainfall quantities are likely in Ulster, Connaught and Leinster, while Munster can anticipate 10%-15% more rainfall than average, bringing an overall average for Ireland of around 3% less rainfall compared to norm,” says Ring.

If you are planning to holiday at home this year, choose June. Ring predicts that June may be warmer and sunnier than average by around 20%, while average-to-cloudier conditions develop in July with around 20% less sunshine. While sunshine levels in August promise to be a little better it will also be cooler.

He predicts 2010 will be wetter than average for most of the country, with some exceptions.

“Comparing to long- term monthly averages, the wettest month for the whole country may be September, followed by April. The driest month may be October.”

During the summer months the central west may see the driest June, but northern areas may see the driest July.

“June should be the driest month for all except Dublin. Also Killarney and Cork may have above average June rain falls. In August only Dublin may be significantly drier-than-average, with most places seeing more than their average rain.”

He predicts a warm start to summer, turning average mid-season and ending on a cooler-than-average August.

Ring is an Auckland-based professional weather watcher and, while his forecasting has been greeted with some scepticism, he was largely on the mark.

“I think I’ve done quite well, or at least the farmers tell me so,” he says.

Ring’s achievement is all the more remarkable as some of the experts have got their long-term forecasts spectacularly wrong. The British Met Office was left with egg on its face after trumpeting a “barbecue summer” last April only for Britain to see its wettest July on record.