Funnel clouds show in Galway

An impressive looking funnel cloud was spotted in the skies over the Inishowen Peninsula in Co Donegal late Saturday morning.

Funnel clouds are condensation funnels extending from the base of a towering cumulus or Cb, associated with a rotating column of air that is not in contact with the ground. Funnel clouds become confirmed tornadoes when they touch the ground.

Michelle Diver captured these images at Clonmany, Co Donegal. According to Michelle, the cloud appeared at 11:50 AM on Saturday (06 August 2011) shortly before a heavy rain shower.

Clonmany’s location next to the sea offers the possibility that the feature may have been a water spout. These features, which are more commonly associated with tropical or subtropical waters, are small, relatively weak rotating columns of air over water beneath a Cb or towering cumulus cloud.

There has been a significant increase in funnel sightings across Ireland during 2011 with confirmed sightings in Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway, Derry, Antrim and Wexford. While conditions have been more conducive for such developments in recent weeks, Irish Weather Online (IWO) believes advancements in mobile phone camera technology along with an increasing awareness of funnel clouds have contributed to the spike in reported funnel cloud sightings.

The tornado in Eglinton, Co Derry, during June might be construed by some as signs of climate change while others might see the event as another display of Mother Nature’s unpredictable behaviour. The reality, however, is that this weather phenomenon is not new to Ireland.

Ireland experiences numerous tornadoes each year, with a slight majority occuring in summer. In February 1995, a tornado lifted mobile homes off the ground in a campsite in Youghal, Co. Cork, while on St. Patrick’s Day the same year a tornado traveled 28 kms through Co. Meath before dissipating. In 2005, ten tornadoes were recorded across Ireland.

They occurred in Dingle, Killucan, Clonee, Ballymore, Rasharkin, Derrymore, Ballinamullen, Markethill, Gougenabarra and Inver.In fact, the earliest recorded tornado in Europe struck Isdalla, near Kilbeggan, Ireland on April 30, 1054.

On a worldwide scale, more tornadoes per square km occur in the UK than in any other country, even the US! Of course, a lot has to do with how many are reported. Countries with vast uninhabited areas may get more tornadoes, but it’s a case of if they’re not witnessed or reported by anyone, then did they actually occur?

While tornadoes are relatively rare in Ireland, funnel clouds and water spouts are a more regular occurrence.