Sir, - I am on holiday in West Cork, successfully keeping dry in a warm pub, reading Brendan McWilliams's Weather Eye column in The Irish Times (August 6th) and writing this on my Psion pocket computer.
His column comes over as a confession of failure to forecast the inevitable wet weekend of Baltimore Regatta. To avoid this problem next year (and in the future) might I suggest that he programme the date of Baltimore Regatta into his computer so that it will accurately forecast the weather.
Normally, Baltimore has a "hole in the clouds" microclimate. Heavy rain-clouds and nasty-looking frontal systems rush past us and drop onto Skibbereen while a little blue patch stays over us. There is one exception to this idyllic scene, however. I have witnessed no fewer than 30 Baltimore Regattas and on only three occasions in the 30 years has no rain fallen. Even in good summers the clouds build up on the Sunday and lash down rain on the crowds standing damply on the pier watching wetsuit-clad sailers bailing their boats out.
I would be interested to know if official statistics match my unerring observations! - Yours, etc.,
Andrew J. Ogden,
Naas, Co Kildare.