Surviving The Heatwave of Summer 2018 in The West of Ireland

Irish summers tend to be wet with a hint of sun and a promise of warmth that comes and goes as fast as the clouds above Inis Mor on a stormy day out in the Atlantic.

However, this summer has been the hottest in over 40 years, records have been broken and then broken again.

Temperatures of late twenties and into the thirties became almost normal, there has been nothing but sun, sun and more sun.

A lot of people might ask whats wrong with that, shouldn’t we be celebrating?

Well, for a start between wild fires destroying everything in their wake, water shortages from reservoirs and lakes drying up, wild animals and pets alike dying from thirst and heat, A&E being inundated with with water related accidents and third degree sunburns…you get the picture.

You might ask why are we having such a crazy summer? Well, a lot of people might say its just ‘weather’, it changes all the time and theres nothing significant or remarkable about that.

I however disagree with that idea and firmly believe that the change in our weather is due to global warming caused by pollution.

Climate change is real and far from going away, it is going to get much worse.

As you can see from the above map, in the month of April alone, there has been many shifts and abnormalities not not just in Ireland but indeed the whole world.

The more research I do, the more alarmed I become. The climate is changing at a much faster pace that anyone could have foreseen. We are seeing not just the effects of the Industrial Revolution but everything that has happened since.

The earth is so much more sensitive then anyone previously believed.

Here in Ireland, the effects of climate change have been becoming more evident over the last ten years.

We have had winters such as never seen before with lows of -20c and below, metres of snow, animals and people dying from the cold and hunger…

The winter continued with the cost of fuel shooting to unsustainable heights, no running water, wide sections of the country cut off for weeks at a time…

Then there has been the flooding, where rivers and lakes burst their banks and engulfed homes, farms, fields and vast swaths of the countryside.

Landslides, the risk of infectious disease, drownings, pneumonia and other serious health issues caused by the flooding affected the more vulnerable members of our society, the old and the sick and young children.

Storms of the like not seen in decades…

And now, The Heatwave…

Here are a few photos from this summer: below, serpents tails of fire sweep up the gorse hillsides and appear to lick the moon, leaving nothing in their wake except destruction.

More wildfires spread across the Irish countryside, here some of our brave and valiant Firefighters try to save lives and stop the flames.

The work they do is nothing short of heroic.

From the WHO, I give you a few small examples of the effect of climate change:

In Conclusion

I will talk more about this again and how we all can help not just prevent future climate change but hopefully help clear up some of the past problems that brought us to where we are today.

The fight to save our planet won’t be easy but it is our responsibility as the very beings that got the planet into this deadly mess.

It is only by EACH & EVERY PERSON doing their share, that maybe, just maybe, it can be done.

To anyone reading this, to your family, friends, neighbours, co-workers…I plead to you with all my heart, please start thinking about these issues and if its just one change that you make today to help the planet, I salute you. TOGETHER we WILL save our home, our beautiful blue planet.

On A Lighter Note…

           

For Those of You Not a Fan of The Heatwave…

On a more serious note, its a good idea to know the following

Also In The Event Of Water Rationing

Currently

The Hose Ban continues and until there is several days/a few weeks of good rain will be here for the next while.

A Few Coping Tips and a Reminder

Nothing like some ice chips in front of a fan to cool down a room!

If your heading to the beach, don’t forget your sunscreen and heres’ a timeless summer classic for your listening pleasure! 🙂

Next Time

Making Toothpaste for your dog and summer meadow foraging