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This Is Why Your Car's Thermometer Gives A Higher Reading Than Met Eireann

98FM
98FM

01:49 28 Jun 2018


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So we are officially in the throes of a heatwave, according to Met Eireann.

The warm spell has only just been classified as such because we've had five consecutive days of above normal temperatures.

Met Eireann says top temperatures in Dublin today could reach 28 degrees.

Does it seem warmer to you? Is the guage on your dashboard telling you it's hotter?

Forecasters have been filling us in on why there's a variation in temperature.

Joanna Donnelly explains how they record temperatures using a Stevenson screen. 

Remember your geography kids? (image via Met Eireann)

Met Eireann uses it to measure the air temperature, which is what gives us the official temperature reading. The screen protects the thermometer from wind and direct sunlight which could give a false sense of being hotter or cooler.

Joanna says "the sun heats the ground and the ground heats the air. So if you took a reading in a car park with black tarmacadam, it would be much hotter than if you measured the temperature on a patio with white tiles. There are too many elements that could affect the reading. That's why the temperature is taken within the Stevenson screen at our climate stations in the Phoenix Park and Dublin Airport."

So if your car tells you it's 31 degrees but Met Eireann is reporting that it's really 28 degrees, now you know why!


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