For some useful weather links check out the following links :::

Met Eireann Home Page

Current Forecasts

Latest forecast charts

Latest Irish weather station reports

Latest satellite images

The most import fundamental rule to learn when it comes to paragliding is that no matter how experienced you are, no matter how good your equipment is, no matter how good looking you are, no matter how many shredded wheat you had for breakfast it is the weather that ultimately decides if you get to fly or not!

Paragliding is a light wind sport when you are learning and a light to moderate wind sport when you are experienced. That is the bottom line. Ignore this rule at your peril and you will hurt yourself.

We at Paraglide Adventure Irl are not in the business of throwing students off hills and mountains just so we can move on to our next group. We only run our courses when the wind and weather are suitable. This above all else has enabled us to keep our excellent safety record. It is important for you as a student to make sure you are available when the wind and weather are suitable for training.

Although weather on a large scale is of interest to us, as it gives us an idea if a three to four day period will be flyable, we are more interested in micrometeorology as this relates to what is happening on a small scale on our particular hill or mountain that we intend to fly from.

As a student pilot you will be required to learn how wind moves over hills and mountains, where it creates lift and where it causes turbulence. What type and shape of hills are suitable for flying, the names of various clouds and the type of weather patterns that we associate with them.

The weather is a big subject. You will not learn everything in a week or month. You will be required to read the relevant textbooks and combine this knowledge with your own observations of the various weather phenomena that occur at the sites you fly from.