#Surfing - Though the storm surges in Lahinch may be too much even for the most experience surfer to handle, big wave chasers will no doubt be champing at the bit to tackle the monsters expected to crash Europe's western shores in the coming days.
Surfing website MagicSeaweed describes the ominous swell due on Monday 6 January - appearing like a black hole on the weather map - as "a step into the unknown" as it comes as a single solid system rather than a chain of multiple cores, set to "deliver huge surf to the whole of west facing Europe and North Africa".
One of those who's surely itching to hit the surf at Mullaghmore Head in Co Sligo is photographer Christian McLeod, who tells the Irish Independent about the "huge thrill" he gets from capturing his breathtaking images from the heart of the action.
Elsewhere in Europe, Portugal is directly in the swell's path, and looks primed to provide some giant waves - possibly even to beat the record-breaking Nazare monster surfed by Irish-American waverider Garret McNamara two years ago.
