"FINE day" once meant clear skies, burning sun. "Fine" may soon mean plenty of cloud and rain, if a new service initiated by Met Eireann this morning begins to have an impact.
Ozone warnings are to be incorporated in weather forecasts for the first time, in an attempt to stem the rise in skin cancer in Ireland.
The new Sunburn Forecast Service, as it is called, is being introduced in co operation with the Irish Cancer Society. Publicity material will include the society's free phone help line.
Damage to the Earth's ozone layer, the shield against ultra violet (UV) radiation, is at record levels, with risk of skin cancer and eye cataracts.
Not to be confused with ground level ozone warnings issued in association with the Environmental Protection Agency since last year, the new service will warn of "burr time" and low, medium and high UV indices.
Met Eireann has been measuring stratospheric ozone for some time. Monitoring is carried out at Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry, Mace Head, Co Galway, and Malin Head, Co Donegal.
The "total column" ozone in the atmosphere is recorded daily using a Brewer spectrophotometer. The instrument also measures UV-B, the UV frequency associated with sunburn.
A vertical profile of ozone is measured weekly, using a "sonde" or sensor.
These sensors are attached to hydrogen balloons in winter and spring, when ozone fluctuations are at their greatest, according to Mr Gerry Murphy, chief scientist at Valentia.
Recently, scientists noted that unusual weather last winter may have contributed to the worst ozone depletion over the northern hemisphere.
High pressure weather periods during spring pose the greatest risk, according to expert opinion.
