MET Éireann has confirmed they are looking to work with the UK weather office to incorporate weather warnings, after the Irish forecasting office came under criticism for not including Northern Ireland.

Former Lord Mayor of Belfast Niall Ó Donnghaile said it was a cause of “great frustration” that the Irish office do not include Northern Ireland in their weather warnings, but do cover their forecast on the website.

The Sinn Féin senator accused Met Éireann of ‘amputating’ the north.

In a statement issued to Independent.ie today, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing on behalf of Met Éireann said that they are looking to team up with the UK Met in the future, but that the office are currently responsible for warnings in Northern Ireland.

“Met Éireann has confirmed today that it does forecast for the whole island of Ireland. Our localised forecasts that are available on the website and app will give a forecast for anywhere in Ireland with a 2.5km resolution. You can enter in different locations (towns/cities) and view the forecast for that area,” they said.

“The UK Met office issue the warnings for Northern Ireland. In line with best practice, the meteorological agency with jurisdiction solely issues the warnings for that area.

“Warnings are essential to advise people of forecasted severe weather, help protect life and property and as such need to be issued with a single authoritative voice.

“Met Éireann are however looking at ways that they could incorporate the warnings issued by the UK Met Office in displays in the future.”

The response comes after a Sinn Fein Senator accused Met Éireann of “amputating” Northern Ireland from weather warnings.

A ‘status yellow’ weather warning for snow and ice remains in place for 26 counties until midday on Sunday.

Mr Ó Donnghaile, who is also the Party Spokesperson on North-South Integration, said that “Ireland works best when it works together”.

“It is a cause of great frustration when the north-east of Ireland is amputated from maps that are supposed to be about alerting people to adverse or emergency weather situations,” he said.

“Weather knows no borders; neither should strategies that are meant to be about communicating the very real dangers posed by emergency weather situations.

“I have previously raised this issue under a ‘Commencement Matter’ in the Seanad and Government acknowledged that communication and information sharing needed to be improved.”

He added that by combining weather warnings, it would help to keep a “maximum amount” of people safe and informed during cold spells of weather.

“While I understand that Met Éireann and the Met Office operate two different standards in relation to weather warnings, I don’t believe these competing approaches should lead to an inability to represent weather situations when/where they occur across Ireland.

“Recently we have rightly seen many weather forecasters and broadcasters north and south take a positive initiative and accurately reflect the warnings in each part of the country, thereby improving information sharing and sensibly reflecting the status of weather warnings throughout our small island.

“It makes sense to do this; it also helps keeps the maximum amount of us not only better informed but safer too.”

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  ‘Weather knows no borders’ – Met Éireann accused of ‘amputating’ Northern Ireland from warnings

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