Ireland weather: Dublin’s freezing phenomenon shaking with heavy snow could return

Ten years ago, Ireland endured one of its coldest winters, with snow and icy conditions hitting the country.

The cause? La Niña, a meteorological phenomenon caused by the cooling of the Pacific.

Now that “the girl”, who experts say can change global weather patterns, is back, could Ireland face a winter like 2010?

While the La Niña impact is unlikely to be that significant this time, long-term forecasters from the UK Met Office say it should not be taken lightly.

Professor Adam Scaife, head of long-range forecasting at the UK Met Office, said: “La Niña has a profound effect on climate around the world and we even see impacts spreading across the UK.

“In late autumn and early winter it historically promotes high pressure in the mid-Atlantic, preventing the Atlantic weather systems from delivering warm air to the UK and thus may allow cold conditions to intensify.

“However, in late winter, La Niña may drive a poleward shift of the jet stream increasing storms and heavy rains, while bringing milder conditions.”

And with Ireland already experiencing major storms in recent months, it seems very possible that we have a stormy winter ahead.

The La Niña phenomenon has also been recognized by our own meteorological experts, with Met Éireann tweeting in recent weeks that “La Niña does not always impact our climate but it can intensify the North Atlantic jet.

“A strong jet over Ireland can bring cold and unstable conditions.”

If this weekend’s forecast is valid, “unstable” is an accurate word to describe the current weather conditions in Ireland.

Met Éireann is forecasting tough days ahead, with an Atlantic jet stream bringing hurricane force winds and torrential rains to many parts of the country.