Storm Eoywn is on its way. As we head to sleep on the 23rd of January, no one knows what we will be faced with when we wake in the morning. A ‘Red warning’ is in place for the entire country – schools are closed, public transport is not running and people are being asked to stay indoors.

In 1987 the Irish Independent reported on the history of major weather phenomenon which had been recorded by scientists and meteorologists.

Hurricane Charlie CHARLIE has turned all our weather records upside down. Before the advent of last year's storm, which devastated urban and rural areas, Ireland was relatively unexceptional in the weather stakes. True, we had the night of the Big Wind in January 1839 when thousands of trees were uprooted, but there wasn't anything much worse than that until Hurricane Charlie in August last year.

Although Ireland can hardly be described as a land of contrasts, there are several appreciable differences from one part of the country to another. If you fancy sunshine then the southeast corner of the country is the sunniest, but there you will run a greater risk of thunder than in other areas of the land.

There are some of the facts  dredged up by former director of the Irish Meteorological Service. P. K. Rohan, in a new book. "The Climate of Ireland". Working from records dating back to the early 1800s Mr. Rohan says that -snowstorms are generally not severe enough to disrupt traffic or isolate areas for any great length of time.

The most severe snowfall of this century happened in 1917 when over four metres fell in January and over a metre fell in certain parts of the country in April. There were also severe winters in 1962/'63, 1978/79 and in 1982, but none as bad as in 1807 when a disastrous blizzard killed many and two transport ships were wrecked on the east coast.

Ireland is well known for its wet weather, and although we have more rainfall than many European countries, it rarely results in destructive flooding or severe water shortages. But some years proved exceptional. Rainfall following Hurricane Charlie was recorded at 206.3mm in Glenvickee station on August 5, and 270mm at Kippure on the same date.

And in three days from November 16 to 19, 1965  229mm of rainfall was recorded in Glencullen. But according to an observer in Glasnevin in 1897, that year was the driest on record. In February 1965 no rain was reported on Kilronan, on the Aran Islands, and a number of stations throughout the country reported no rain in the months of February and September 1986.

So do heed the warnings for tonight and tomorrow. Stay indoors and stay safe.

For more information on Ireland’s weather through the years search the pages of the Irish Newspaper Archives (www.irishnewsarchives.com )