Secondly, Chandra was what meteorologists call a cyclonic bomb, deepening by more than 24 hectopascals (24hPa) in 24 hours. It is now over 20 years since the first scenario-based projections of Ireland’s future climate were made. Extreme rainfall events are what we face increasingly in the future. Past rainfall data is often the basis for calculating the once-in-a-century rainfall event, but it is not safe to do so in a changed climate, and the concept is now obsolete. It just takes joined-up thinking, and resourcing – in Ireland’s case between the Office of Public Works, Met Éireann and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Source: The Irish Times February 02, 2026 10:01 UTC