0:00:28 > 0:00:32My Weather Watch today takes me across the Inishowen peninsula
0:00:32 > 0:00:35to meet up with photographer Martina Gardiner.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Martina's photographs are dramatic nightscapes,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48featuring constellations, auroras and the Milky Way.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Martina, you have a lot of night-time photographs here.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56It's a real passion of yours.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58What got you interested in it?
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Well, I was always interested in photography,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03but it's really in the last four or five years
0:01:03 > 0:01:05that I have got into night-time photography.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08There's just something about being out there on a great starry night
0:01:08 > 0:01:12and just looking up and enjoying the stars and...
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Yeah, I just can't help myself. I just love it.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16It can't be as easy as that.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18I mean, looking at this photograph, that's fantastic,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21but surely you can't just go out and think,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23"I'm going to get that photograph tonight."
0:01:23 > 0:01:25No, to catch the Milky Way in a photograph,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28it has to be the right time of the month.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30That's a time when there's little or no moonlight.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34The other thing is you need an absolutely clear sky,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37so trying to get the two on the one night, that's the difficult part.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39What are the chances of both of those things happening
0:01:39 > 0:01:41at the same time?
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Well, we've picked the right day.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47There is no moon by the time we can photograph the Milky Way tonight.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49And the weather I'm not too sure about.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It's a little iffy, but maybe you know better.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Well, sure, why don't we have a wee look before we head off?
0:01:55 > 0:01:57We can see there a few wee breaks in the cloud.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Hopefully they'll continue and we'll get a few photographs like this.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01- Yeah, fantastic.- Perfect.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11We're off to Malin Head,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15the most northerly tip on the island of Ireland,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18with the wild Atlantic Ocean for a neighbour.
0:02:18 > 0:02:19You'll have heard of Malin Head
0:02:19 > 0:02:21because there's a weather station there.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Malin - south five or six, fair, good.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Hebrides...
0:02:27 > 0:02:29And the weather element which distinguishes this
0:02:29 > 0:02:33from other stations throughout the country is the wind speed.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Storm force 12 winds are regularly recorded.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Well, it looks like we're in a bit of luck.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44- Some clear skies.- Yeah.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47That's always good, when you see some clear sky, that's for sure.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49And you've been here before when it's been like this,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52you've got some amazing shots, so perhaps we'll get some more tonight.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Yeah, if we get a clear sky even in one direction,
0:02:55 > 0:02:56we'll be able to work with it,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58so, yeah, I'm quite optimistic so far.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11This is the spot you reckon we'll get a good shot from?
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Yeah, we'll get a good shot of the tower from here.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15It's really shaping up nicely.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17I'm really very excited.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22So we just line it up here and...have a look.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Try to get all of the tower in and leave space for the stars as well.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26So here we go.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30It's not looking too bad so far.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33No, the main thing is that we've got the whole tower there
0:03:33 > 0:03:34and we've got plenty of sky,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38so, when that fills with stars, it'll be a pretty nice shot.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39And it's not a bad night to wait out.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I'm sure you've been here when it's been much worse.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- It's the windiest place in Ireland. - Yeah.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Like, tonight, as nights in Malin Head go, I think this is amazing.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Having no wind is really something.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52So sit back, wait for that perfect shot.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55'It mightn't be windy tonight but it's cold.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56'Very cold.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59'It's no wonder the Romans called Ireland Hibernia -
0:03:59 > 0:04:00'the land of winter.'
0:04:00 > 0:04:02We haven't got long to wait.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- That's hopefully going to heat us up for a wee while. Cheers.- Cheers.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12OK, Barra, we're ready for a shot.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- OK, ready.- So you've got to stay steady for 25 seconds.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Ready, and...
0:04:17 > 0:04:19..action!
0:04:19 > 0:04:23'Deep breath in. I don't want to end up a blur on the landscape.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24'Here goes.'
0:04:24 > 0:04:26That looks great.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27Erm, come on down, have a look.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29OK, breathe out.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30OK.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Let's have a look.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Well, that's fantastic.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39The colours have really come out well, haven't they?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Yeah, they've turned out pretty well.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Now, we haven't got, like... all the stars I'd like.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45A few stars at the top but...
0:04:45 > 0:04:47The weather hasn't completely let us down.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50It's been a great day, great photograph.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- Has gone a bit chilly, though, hasn't it?- Yes, it has.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56But it's all been worth it.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58'Maybe not as starry as Martina would've liked,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01'but I think it's picture perfect.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And, as beautiful day follows cold night,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I make my way from County Donegal
0:05:10 > 0:05:12to the more temperate climate of County Down
0:05:12 > 0:05:16to meet up with organic farmer John McCormick.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- How are you?- I'm very well, thank you.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21It's perfect weather for the auld garden, isn't it?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23It's beautiful. Beautiful day.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26'John is passionate about growing organic food,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29'locally produced and completely dependent
0:05:29 > 0:05:31'on our Northern Irish climate.'
0:05:31 > 0:05:34John, a nice big tunnel here of cherry tomatoes.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36They've done well with our weather this year.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Yes, I'm very pleased with them. They're called Sakura.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42They're a very sweet tomato,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45so would be incredibly popular with children, as you can well imagine.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48And you've got your normal amount of crops for this year?
0:05:48 > 0:05:53Erm, yes, by and large the cropping would appear to be good.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55We normally go for seven or eight trusses.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58This is a truss. They start at the bottom
0:05:58 > 0:06:00and, you know, work right up to the last truss at the top.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03This would be the eighth truss on this.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05So eight trusses is actually a very good yield.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09If that, between now and the middle of October, grows and ripens,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11what doesn't ripen will go to chutney,
0:06:11 > 0:06:12but they're actually doing very well.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16So another few weeks left and these boys here will be ready to pick.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Five, six weeks before I start taking them out.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23'Food is a requirement for all life,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26'but we need the right weather to grow it.'
0:06:26 > 0:06:28County Down is one of the driest counties in Ireland.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30It must have some benefits for your farm.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Well, I'm very surprised to hear you say that,
0:06:33 > 0:06:38because, while parts of County Down are dry,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40we're in Helen's Bay,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42and Helen's Bay has a lough on one side
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and has the hills on the other side
0:06:44 > 0:06:46and regularly, when it's raining here,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50I would phone my friends in Donaghadee or Newtonards even,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54and the sun would be shining and we'd be sheltering from the rain.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57What can you do here that you can't do in the west?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00I suppose we're blessed, in the sense that
0:07:00 > 0:07:01if you want to be a vegetable grower,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03you're far better off over here on the east coast
0:07:03 > 0:07:05than you ever would be on the west coast.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07We can just about grow everything
0:07:07 > 0:07:10except bananas and citrus.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13What I have noticed is we seem to be getting extremes.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15We're breaking records left, right and centre.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18We're getting the hottest days that have ever happened in the year,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21we're getting the wettest days that have ever happened in the year,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24and this does throw particular problems at farmers.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32These nets, John, do a good job
0:07:32 > 0:07:35protecting against pests and rabbits, that kind of thing,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38but they also protect against our bad weather.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40That's right. We're finding increasingly that
0:07:40 > 0:07:44in the summertime we're getting very, very heavy rainfall
0:07:44 > 0:07:47and the result of that is it splashes the mud
0:07:47 > 0:07:49back up all over the lettuce and makes it unsellable,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51so the nets act as a barrier.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53So, when the rain hits that,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55it diffuses, and there you don't get that splash.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08You also keep bees here.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11How has the weather affected them?
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Erm, 2015 has not been one of the great bee years.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19We had a cold May, which wouldn't have been nice for the bees,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22but they were busy enough and survived it
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and managed to build up to a decent brood size for June.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28And then we had a nice June. We had a good June.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30So the bees were very busy in June
0:08:30 > 0:08:32and there was plenty of nectar and pollen around
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and they started to bring in a lot of reserves.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36But then July turned wet,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and by the end of August, because we had another wet August,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42they had already started to eat into those reserves.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44There can be up to 50,000, 60,000 bees in a colony
0:08:44 > 0:08:46and they all need to be fed every day,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49and if they can't get out to feed they will eat their reserves.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52So we won't be taking much honey off the bees this year,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56simply because we want to leave them with the reserves that are there.