And Now, Here's The Weather...

(page 5)

Donald Hare, from Dublin, Ireland:

"Here in Ireland we were spared the worst of the dreadful weather the rest of the British Isles had in February. Although around 10cm (4") of snow fell in Dublin between the 7th and 9th of February, this had melted by the 12th. Air temperature on a couple of nights fell to between -9¾ inland and -4¾ on the coast with day time temperatures for the same period ranging between 0¾ and +4¾.

"Our normal temperature on the coldest winter nights varies between +2¾ and -4¾ on the coast and -6¾ to -8¾ inland with daytime temperatures of +2¾ to +7¾.

"No damage has ever occurred on Trachycarpus fortunei, and when Chamaerops humilis is grown near the coast, and given adequate shelter from the easterly winds along with good drainage, it seems reasonably hardy. Phoenix canariensis grows in a few very sheltered South and South-west gardens, but suffers severe windburn in winters like 1987 which was the worst this century for that area, -7.2¾C being recorded."

From the Cote d'Azur, France, Alain Moinié reports:

"The French Riviera is really a series of micro-climates, so the cold weather had a different effect in different places, but certainly no palm trees were lost during February s cold.

"In Hyeres, in very protected places, the temperature dropped no lower than -2¾, but in more exposed spots, -4¾ to -5¾ was recorded. However, the frost melted as soon as the sun rose.

"In Presqu'ile de Giens the minimum seems to have been +5¾, but in Frejus (80km to the east) on the coast, but less protected, they had -7¾. So, a bit of a mixture. In Nice and Antibes, they even had snow for a day."

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