Last week, I had the pleasure of attending and presenting my ongoing research on ‘Impacts of #heat and cold waves in Ireland’ at the 24th International Congress of #Biometeorology (ICB) organised by the @biometeorology.bsky.social and hosted at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia.

"Ireland doesn't have a rainfall problem," says Dr Shaun Harrigan, Assistant Professor of Hydroclimatology at Maynooth University. "We sometimes have a water storage and treated supply problem." www.rte.ie/news/clarity...

How can a country as wet as Ireland need hosepipe bans?

Ireland is one of Europe's wettest countries, so why are hundreds of thousands of people being told not to use hosepipes?

rte.ie

How can universities do more to advance climate justice and climate adaptation? Professor Jennie Stephens @jenniecstephens.bsky.social argues that better and different funding for higher education is essential. Read more in her latest Irish Times opinion piece: www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

Universities must be supported to lead on climate action

One critical public investment we can make to reduce devastating future societal costs is to dramatically increase third-level funding

irishtimes.com

"We have multiple lines of evidence...pointing to potential significant impacts on Earth’s hydrological cycle and temperatures, with knock-on effects for agricultural production and broader society," - Prof Peter Thorne @icarus-maynooth.bsky.social www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-scienc...

Scientists could dim the Sun as a quick fix for the climate crisis. Here's why it could cause global chaos | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Stratospheric aerosol injection means spraying millions of tonnes of particles into the atmosphere to bounce solar radiation into space.

skyatnightmagazine.com

As we deal with record breaking heat, Dr Claire Bergin, postdoc in ICARUS contrasts our experience of the heat dome with the experience of the Global South https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2026/06/24/ireland-at-the-edge-of-european-heat-dome-as-met-eireann-issues-hot-weather-warnings/

Why is it so hot and when will Ireland’s ‘exceptionally warm weather’ end?

Wednesday and Thursday expected to be hottest days in Ireland this week

irishtimes.com

Delighted to share that my first peer-reviewed main author paper has been published as part of a special issue on Meteotsunamis in the Journal of Natural Hazards. Big thank you to my co-authors, @germac.bsky.social & @clairebergin.bsky.social for your support! link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Investigating the occurrence of an unusual tidal event along the north–west coast of Ireland - Natural Hazards

The study investigates the occurrence of an unusual tidal event recorded at Portsalon Golf Club on 21st February 2022 at 08:50 UTC. The event followed the passage of Storm Franklin and was described b...

link.springer.com

Today’s Indicators of Global Climate Change (IGCC) report shows the entire climate system is continuing to heat with global greenhouse gas emissions reaching an all-time high. essd.copernicus.org/articles/18/...

Have you heard about El Niño on the news and not been quite sure what it is? Dr Michelle McCrystall of ICARUS and the Department of Physics at Maynooth University @mu-physics.bsky.social explains what El Niño is, why it's important and what it might mean for Irish weather and climate.

RTÉ Brainstorm@rtebrainstorm.bsky.social · 2mo ago

What is El Niño and why is it generating so much attention? Explainer by Michelle McCrystall @maynoothuniversity.ie on how it can impact temperatures and rainfall patterns many thousands of kilometres away from the tropical Pacific www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

ICARUS Professor of Climate Justice Jennie Stephens @jenniecstephens.bsky.social will appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence tomorrow (9 June) at 11:15am, alongside Professor Hannah Daly (UCC) and Professor Andrew Parnell (UCD). Watch live www.oireachtas.ie/en/committee...

ICARUS researcher Dr Claire Bergin @clairebergin.bsky.social appeared on RTÉ Prime Time last night, discussing her work with @wasitusie.bsky.social and how record-breaking May temperatures are linked to human-caused climate change. Claire's segment begins at 29:14. www.rte.ie/player/serie...

Prime Time 2026-06-04

An in-depth analysis of current issues and topical reports. Watch Prime Time 2026-06-04 on RTÉ Player for free

rte.ie

Will you look at that @icarus-maynooth.bsky.social in the talk on the new era6 reanalysis given by Hans Hersbach of @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social

Who Owns the Transition? Join @jlmacarthur.bsky.social, @jenniecstephens.bsky.social, Dr Emanuela Ferrari & Laurie Reilly for a discussion on energy democracy and the power of community and cooperative renewables. 📅 22 June | 2–4pm 📍 Hybrid event Register www.maynoothuniversity.ie/news-events/...

Featured by Copernicus ECMWF: research from ICARUS's Copernicus Climate Change Service work, led by Dr Simon Noone @simonj1967.bsky.social

Copernicus ECMWF@copernicusecmwf.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🌐Out now: Version 3 of the improved global land surface atmospheric observations dataset. New release includes 3 billion additional observations, coverage back to 1718 & data through Feb.2026. Supports reanalysis products, gridded products & data services. ⬇️ #CopernicusClimate

📺Watch back: Prof Peter Thorne @icarus-maynooth.bsky.social was on CNN this morning discussing the current European heatwave 🌡️ video.snapstream.net/Play/8OW4EGh...

Interesting piece from ICARUS Research Fellow Dr Nick Scroxton @stalagnick.bsky.social on Ireland’s new dynamic electricity tariffs.

RTÉ Brainstorm@rtebrainstorm.bsky.social · 2mo ago

All you need to know about new dynamic electricity tariffs. The introduction of dynamic electricity tariffs next week will result in lower carbon emissions and lower energy prices for consumers, explains @stalagnick.bsky.social @maynoothuniversity.ie @researchireland.ie www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

ICARUS Director Professor Peter Thorne featured in The Guardian on the “mind-bogglingly crazy” spring heatwaves affecting Europe. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

‘Mind-bogglingly crazy’: climate experts alarmed by deadly spring heatwaves searing Europe

Scientists warn of ‘new reality’ of heat extremes that claim three times more lives than car crashes and 16 times as many as murderers

theguardian.com

"At a time when worsening climate vulnerabilities require an urgent phase-out of fossil fuels, AI and its data centres are causing a devastating increase in polluting fossil-fuel use." - Prof Jennie C Stephens, @icarus-maynooth.bsky.social www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

Artificial intelligence spells a real climate disaster

Despite the tech industry’s efforts to squash concern about the devastating climate impacts of AI, resistance is growing

irishtimes.com

On June 17th, I will be at Craicacademia to talk about #climatechange and extreme weather events. 🎟️ Tickets on Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.ie/e/craicademi... 📍Rascals Brewing Company, Dublin 8. I hope to see you there! #scicomm #sciencecommunication #publicengagement @maynoothuniversity.ie

Congratulations @lionel-swan.bsky.social on your first retrospective attribution study focusing on the abnormally warm and dry summer of 2018!

WASITUS@wasitusie.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Our first retrospective study on SUMMER 2018 has been released (check the link below!). Key findings: high temperatures experienced during June and July have become warmer and more frequent due to anthropogenic climate change, however, the climate change influence on low precipitation is less clear.

The convergence of geology, climate, vegetation and human history enabled peat to accumulate on an extraordinary scale over thousands of years, write Dr Nannan Li and Dr Lisa Orme of @icarus-maynooth.bsky.social and the Department of Geography. www.maynoothuniversity.ie/research/spo...

Why is Ireland home to so many bogs?

The convergence of geology, climate, vegetation and human history enabled peat to accumulate on an extraordinary scale over thousands of years, write Dr Nannan Li and Dr Lisa Orme of ICARUS and the

maynoothuniversity.ie

Great to host Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com at ICARUS, Maynooth University, for an engaging seminar on climate change. She spoke about bridging the gap between climate projections and real-world adaptation and resilience planning. Thank you to all who attended.

Not to be all morbid but this from @icarus-maynooth.bsky.social colleagues is fascinating and highlights the value of massively improved forecasts and warnings from Met Eireann over time rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Fatal lightning strikes in Ireland from newspaper records 1900–2024

This study presents a chronology of fatal lightning strikes in Ireland (1900–2024) derived from digitised newspaper archives. Analysis provides insights into the seasonality, location, victim activit...

rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

📺Watch back: Dr Gerard McCarthy, an oceanographer working in @icarus-maynooth.bsky.social , appeared on the Sáile documentary on @tg4.bsky.social this week. (appears 26:00 to 31:00) www.tg4.ie/en/player/pl...

Ireland must prepare for sharper swings between drought and flooding. Dr Shaun Harrigan of ICARUS contributes to major report highlighting growing climate impacts in Europe https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/faculty-social-sciences/news/mu-scientist-warns-growing-extremes-irish-droughts-and-flooding

MU scientist warns of growing extremes in Irish droughts and flooding | Maynooth University

Irish homes and businesses must prepare for sharper swings between drought and flooding in the years ahead, a Maynooth University (MU) climate scientist has warned. The warning comes with the publication today of a major Europe-wide report showing that water extremes are becoming a defining feature...

maynoothuniversity.ie

We’re delighted to welcome climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe to ICARUS for a seminar on translating climate projections into effective adaptation and resilience strategies. 📅 Tuesday 5 May, 11am 📍 ICARUS Seminar Room, Laraghbryan House, Maynooth University

ICARUS Professor Jennie Stephens @jenniecstephens.bsky.social highlights the need for “exnovation” – the deliberate shift away from harmful processes or products that no longer serve society well – in her latest piece for The Irish Times. www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

Time has come for exnovation away from fossil fuels

The fuel shortages caused by the US-Israel war on Iran highlight the need to move towards more peaceful renewable-based futures

irishtimes.com

ICARUS Director Prof Peter Thorne spoke to RTÉ as Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council’s Adaptation Committee following its latest report: “If even a proportion of recommendations had been implemented, we would not be in the mess we are now.” www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

Climate body chair criticises govts for ignoring warnings

The chair of the Adaptation Committee of the Climate Change Advisory Council has said that if governments had heeded their warnings in the past and implemented just a proportion of them in full, the c...

rte.ie

A new World Weather Attribution study shows recent extreme March temperatures in western North America would have been virtually impossible without climate change. Great to see ICARUS Postdoctoral Researcher @clairebergin.bsky.social contributing as a reviewer 👏

World Weather Attribution@wwattribution.bsky.social · 5mo ago

RAPID ANALYSIS: It would be ‘virtually impossible’ for the record-breaking March heat currently scorching the U.S. West to occur without climate change. We are seeing summer-like temperatures arrive exceptionally early from the Pacific to the Rockies this week. 🧵1/4

Militarisation and war are catastrophic for climate justice - and are boosting corporate climate obstruction. Check out my latest column in @theirishtimestoday.bsky.social www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

Jennie C Stephens: Ireland can offer hope as militarisation hastens climate catastrophe

Irish neutrality shields us from involvement in senseless wars and helps us limit environmental damage

irishtimes.com

Our new research reveals how the world’s largest fossil fuel companies undermine renewables in their corporate communication. Powerful corporations reinforce negative misleading narratives to reinforce fossil fuel dependence and slow down shift to renewables. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Renewable energy discourses of fossil fuel companies: obstruction and delay of climate action - Energy, Sustainability and Society

Background For decades, multinational fossil fuel companies have strategically promoted discourses to obstruct climate action. Initially, the fossil fuel industry publicized communications that denied...

link.springer.com