Public thank Evelyn when the sun shines

Ireland’s weather queen Evelyn Cusack told yesterday how she gets congratulated from her sun-starved audience when temperatures rise.

The popular meteorologist said the weather obsessed-Irish public rarely scold her for summer downpours but thank her when it shines.

But her male counterpart Gerry Fleming admitted that none of the forecasters like being in charge of the nation’s weather during a bank holiday.

Ms Cusack said on the Ray D’Arcy Show that she always get a warm reception from the public. “People are pretty good to me and thank me for a nice day and ask me to do something about the awful weather if it is bad. We have a nice friendly relationship. Nobody ever gives out to me.”

And she joked that people’s favourite weather forecast is when Ireland has sun and Spain has rain. “I love pointing out when we get a fine day across Ireland and Spain gets the rain. I say ‘Our rain is gone to Spain’.”

She said the weather forecast in Ireland can never be 100% accurate because of our location on the edge of the Atlantic.

“I’m more surprised at how often it is right. Ireland is so tiny compared with the vast Atlantic and you’re talking about rain next Tuesday morning.

“I think we’re the only organisation where people expect pinpoint accuracy and it’s just not possible.”

Mr Fleming confessed in RTÉ’s upcoming documentary, Weather Permitting, that forecasters try to avoid being on screen during national bank holidays.

“Bank holidays are a forecasters’ nightmare but the expectations are always sky high. Levels are in the heavens. Nobody likes working on a bank holiday because you are on a hiding to nothing if you get it wrong.”

Weather Permitting takes a light-hearted look at the huge importance of weather to the nation’s daily lives and mood while examining the changes in climate to see what the shape of Ireland’s weather charts will be over the next 50 years.

On the Ray D’Arcy Show yesterday, Mr Fleming said he is delighted to be able to forecast much sunnier weather in the coming week.

“We’re not getting a heatwave but certainly much better weather than we’ve had. The low pressure stuck on top of us for weeks and weeks and weeks has moved away now.

“We are getting drier weather and temperatures will be up into the low twenties. We haven’t had much of that this summer.”

* Weather Permitting will air on RTÉ One tomorrow at 6.30pm.