Ireland could be in the path of some dangerous storms as alarms have been raised about an unusually active Atlantic hurricane season.
Hurricane season official began on June 1 and will carry on until November 30. Forecasters are warning that "above-average hurricane activity" is expected this year.
Experts at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are forecasting a likely range of 14 to 21 named storms in 2022, of which they say six to 10 could become hurricanes, including three to six major hurricanes.
Read more: Met Eireann forecasts sunny spells for Dublin before 'heavy downpours' to hit
A spokesperson explained: “The increased activity anticipated this hurricane season is attributed to several climate factors, including the ongoing La Niña that is likely to persist throughout the hurricane season, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon.”
Ireland lies directly in the firing line for ex-hurricanes and tropical storms, which after forming off the east coast of America can swerve eastwards across the Atlantic.
Already this year there have been three named tropical storms - Alex, Bonnie and Colin. Of the three, Alex impacted Ireland’s weather the most. While it brought strong winds to Ireland on June 6, it was not strong enough to warrant an official weather warning from Met Eireann.
With more tropical storms and hurricanes due to form over the coming months, warnings have been issued about their potential impact on Ireland.
John Hammond, meteorologist for Weathertrending, told Express : “As well as the ever-present threat of heat returning at short notice from the Continent, we’re reaching the time of year when another factor could play a part. The hurricane season is expected to be a particularly active one this year.
“If, and when, one of these bundles of energy escapes the tropics and interacts with the jet stream, we could well see yet another twist to our weather towards the latter part of summer.”
Read more: Met Eireann's long-range forecast reveals if heatwave will return to Ireland
Meanwhile, British Met Office tropical cyclone expert Julian Heming said: “What is interesting this year is that the forecasts issued by many different agencies are all indicating an above-average season. As they are all pointing in the same direction this gives us a higher degree of confidence.”
Ex- hurricane Ophelia reached Ireland in October 2017, with a Status Red warning issued by Met Eireann. All schools closed for two days, while most public transport was cancelled. Hundreds of thousands of homes were left without electricity for a time as gusts of up to 191 km/h were recorded.
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