OPINION: Are storms becoming more severe in Ireland?

Are storms becoming more common and severe in Ireland?

Many people seem to think that there is more frequency and severity to the storms seen in Ireland in recent years, but is there any truth to this? Or are storms just more hyped up due to the fast-paced style of news in recent years.

The answer is yes, due to climate change storms in Ireland are becoming more impactful and causing more red warnings year on year.

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Research undertaken by Met Eireann shows that the rainfall associated with storms is already more intense, especially when it comes to rainfall. A study found heavy rainfall during storms in the 2023–24 season was about 20% more intense than it would have been in a pre-industrial climate.

Met Éireann have also pointed out that in an ever warmer world due to climate change, storms are “likely to become much more powerful, larger and more destructive”.

With this in mind, how should Ireland better prepare for stronger storms in the future due to climate change?

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Due to evidence stating that Ireland’s future climate will bring fewer “average” storms and more damaging extremes, the government needs to be better prepared for these storms.

One way in which the government can increase preparedness is if they modernise flood barriers and drainage systems in vulnerable towns like Clonmel and Cork City. These flood defence systems were designed for 20th-century weather and not the extreme rainfall we see in Ireland today during some storms.

Power outages are also extremely common during storms in Ireland. One way in preventing this would be to bury or reinforce power lines in storm-prone regions to reduce outages.

These are just a few ways in which the government can help prevent the chaos that comes to homes during storms in Ireland.