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Displaying items by tag: Beast from the East

Ireland could be set for the return of the ‘Beast from the East’ with meteorologists eyeing an upcoming weather phenomenon with concern, as Independent.ie reports.

Experts say that a so-called sudden stratospheric warming forecast for the coming days could cause the jet stream, which helps moderate Ireland’s climate, to meander more — bringing an outbreak of cold and dry weather later this month.

Similar conditions brought about the ‘Beast from the East’ blizzard in late February 2018 that blanketed much of the country with snow ahead of Storm Emma, which caused significant damage to harbours around Ireland and the UK.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour was among the worst affected, with the storm eroding coastal defences from both the West and East Piers that took more than two years to be remediated.

Howth’s historic Howth 17s also bore the brunt of the storm, as Force 12 gales blew the roof off a storage shed housing seven of the boats – though only two of them suffered serious damage.

Independent.ie has more on the story HERE.

Published in Weather

About Pamela Lee, Irish Offshore Sailor

Ireland has produced some of the world’s most dedicated offshore sailors, and Pamela Lee of Greystones is one of them. She has made a name for herself in the sailing world, having worked as a mate on a charter Super-yacht for two and a half years. After coming ashore, she has been fully committed to her offshore sailing ambitions since 2019.

Lee has raced in various craft, including Figaro 3s, Class 40, Tp 52s, and multihulls, and has eight transatlantic crossings under her belt. In partnership with Kenny Rumball, Lee supported Rumball’s La Solitaire du Figaro sailing campaign to secure the Irish berth in the proposed Mixed Offshore Keelboat event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

One of Lee’s stated main aims is to promote female empowerment in sport, and she set out to establish a double-handed Round Ireland speed record with Englishwoman Cat Hunt in the winter of 2020. This campaign gained much publicity, and Lee expressed pride in bringing sailing and offshore sailing, in particular, into the conversation for 2020.

To further her offshore sailing career, Lee moved to France, where she has recently secured a place to skipper a yacht in the Transat Jacques Vabre Challenge in October 2023. Lee’s passion and dedication to offshore sailing are inspiring, and her achievements are a testament to her hard work and perseverance.