The “Fickle” Weather

June 23, 2010 - Cork

“The light in Ireland is such a fickle blessing,” writes Richard Conniff in his National Geographic article “Ireland on Fast Foreward.” Well, he was so right. As I sit looking out the window this evening, the sky as changed yet again in the past five minutes. I was warned of the rain and advised to dress in layers, but I wasn’t sure what that really would mean here.

It means that sometimes, the mornings start off sunny and warm, a poor indicator of what the day may actually be like it seems. “No need for a jacket,” I think to myself. But you never know, because later in the afternoon, when you’re at the furthest point from the dorm, is when the clouds could cover the sky. As they darken, eyes look upward, daring the sky to pour down rain.

So far today there were just drops of rain, like the heavens were testing us to see if Ireland was ready to end its idyllic but rare sunny spell. On our first days there was not a single cloud blocking the pure blue sky that shined above us on the campus quad. It didn’t seem real to be in such an Ireland. The weather report in the Tuesday paper proclaimed that it was time to bring the umbrellas out again though, as the coasts were bringing in the winds and the rains. And thus, today the skies were completely filled with clouds; no need for sunglasses when wandering the streets.

But even with the clouds, the light never ends. The sun wakes up early to fill the sky — early being around 5 or 6 a.m. at least — and just like us, doesn’t want to say goodbye to the day and only sets around 10 or 11 p.m. The days are long, providing plenty to do.

While to me it seems like you can’t expect what the weather will be like, to the Irish that’s not the case. On the bus into the city center, I sat with a 70-plus woman who was venturing out to run errands. I mentioned that I had my raincoat in my bag, just in case. “Oh, you won’t need that,” she told me. “It always rains here. You know when it’s going to rain because it always rains.” Since on that day the sun was still peeking out from behind the few clouds, she meant that today would not be a rainy day. You will know when it will actually rain.

Right now, I hope that it doesn’t fall for awhile. Rain often puts a damper on the day, making moods drop and activities wearisome. But, the weather and the light are fickle and unfaithful, making each and every day into a surprise. It adds to the adventure and to the unpredictable nature of Ireland. Even now, as I look out the window near 10 p.m., the sky is still bright but blocked with clouds, some with a red hue sprinting across the sky to avoid nightfall, and other white wisps making shapes, playing before ending the day.