An investigation will begin today at the site where a tornado reported to be up to 300 feet in height came ashore in Dublin last Friday.
Mr John Tyrrell, a climatologist from University College Cork, will visit the site at Clontarf from mid-morning. The tornado struck just before 6 p.m. last Friday and moved from Dollymount strand towards Raheny before dissipating. Strong winds were generated by the dark column of cloud estimated to have been travelling at 100 m.p.h., forcing motorists to pull over until it passed.
Eyewitnesses have said it was a very black structure between 200 and 300 feet in height and about 70 feet wide. No injuries were reported, although one vehicle on the beach was damaged. The tornado was one of several to strike different parts of the Republic and Britain this year.
Last year there were 25 confirmed occurrences in the Republic of tornados or funnel-clouds. The latter, unlike tornados, do not touch the ground.
Mr Tyrrell estimated that a tornado of the dimensions described by the eyewitnesses would have been travelling at about 100 m.p.h.
He said he hoped his investigation would "establish more details of the tornado's impact and track . . . I will want to speak to people who may have seen it develop so that we can get some insights into the process of formation and dissipation and its severity."
Mr Tyrrell said a tornado had occurred for three consecutive years on August 17th. Up to five tornados struck in the west on August 17th and 18th last year, he said.
This year there have been tornados and funnel clouds in Lisburn, Co Antrim, and Poyntzpass, Co Armagh, said Mr Tyrrell.
He will feed the results of his investigation to the Europe-wide tornado research organisation, TORRO. Anybody who witnessed the tornado can reach him in UCC at 021-4276871.