Sir, – Only in Ireland do we go into total meltdown with the prospect of a few days of cold weather and some snow. What will we do in the summer if it’s sunny for more than a week? – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CULLEN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
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Sir, – I recall clearly, about 20 years ago, a now deceased Liverpudlian friend of my father’s responding to my discussion of the following week’s weather forecast with the line, “There’ll be weather next week”!
Since when did a period of weather become a “weather event” and is it really necessary to issue these graded colour status “warnings” when there’s frost on the ground or heavy rainfall? Recent days have seen them operating at full force. In my view, the frequency of these warnings only diminishes their impact so that, a little like the “boy who cried wolf”, they aren’t taken as seriously as they might be when actual “extreme” weather might occur.
Due to health and safety concerns and the immediacy of social media, the tendency nowadays is to crank up the tension and overdramatise everything. To what end I’m not quite sure but it’s an overall societal “development” which we could well live comfortably without. I’m still in my forties but it’s not that long ago when heavy rain or snow or high winds were just reported factually and scientifically as such and without anyone feeling the need to create more drama and tension than is actually required! – Yours, etc,
JD MANGAN,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – The “Hysteria from Siberia”. – Yours, etc,
MAURA BRENNAN,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – Flake news. – Yours, etc,
MICHEÁL
Ó CRUADHLAOCH,
Glasnaíon,
Baile Áth Cliath 9.
Sir, – So far I have counted three raindrops amidst the 37 snowflakes.
Should I have learned how to build an ark as well as an igloo? – Yours, etc,
EUGENE TANNAM,
Firhouse,
Dublin 24.