0:00:05 > 0:00:07It's all around us. It connects us.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Should it be wind from the west, rain from the east,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12or the sun above,
0:00:12 > 0:00:13it's our weather.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30We have been forecasting our weather for centuries.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32We once looked to plants and animals
0:00:32 > 0:00:35for hints about what the weather would do.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38We thought rain was on the way if cows were seen to be lying down,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40frogs croaked more frequently,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44pine cones opened, and sheep's wool uncurled.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Sayings and proverbs were our barometer.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49"Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52"Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning".
0:00:52 > 0:00:55These are natural forecasting methods,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58but today the weather team at BBC Northern Ireland
0:00:58 > 0:01:02have the most up-to-date scientific data at their fingertips
0:01:02 > 0:01:04to bring you an accurate forecast.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Let's get the latest on the weather forecast now...
0:01:07 > 0:01:10As our weather is so changeable, it makes it very interesting
0:01:10 > 0:01:15for forecasters because each day is different in one way or another.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17So, we need lots of things -
0:01:17 > 0:01:22computer models, satellite imagery, and observations from the ground.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25We collate these and work out what is going to happen
0:01:25 > 0:01:27for the next few days ahead.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31But, as Angie explains, where we live plays a part too.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35People often ask why the weather is so changeable
0:01:35 > 0:01:38here in Northern Ireland, compared to other areas,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40especially those on similar latitudes,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43and a lot has to do with positioning.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Take, for example, Moscow.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47It's more or less on the same latitude as ourselves,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50but it's in the middle of a large landmass.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Land heats up very quickly in the summer months,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54the air passing over the land heats up as well,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57and they get very high temperatures.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01In contrast, Northern Ireland, is at the edge of the Atlantic.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Water doesn't heat up at the same rate,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07and a lot of our weather is coming across that water, off the Atlantic,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09so we don't get the same extremes.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Now, the opposite happens in the winter months.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Over the land it cools down extremely quickly,
0:02:14 > 0:02:15plummeting temperatures.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Here in Northern Ireland, again the sea modifies our temperatures,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21the water doesn't cool down at the same rate,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and that's why we have what is called a moderate climate.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29I'm going to go out and experience how that moderate climate
0:02:29 > 0:02:30shapes our lives.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33And I'm starting with my head in the clouds.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38# It's a bright sunshiny day
0:02:38 > 0:02:40# Skies are so blue... #
0:02:43 > 0:02:46I've come to the Ulster Gliding Blub at Bellarena
0:02:46 > 0:02:48to meet Alan McKillen.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51And, even though I'm taking to the skies, I won't be in a plane,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53but a glider.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55An aircraft that doesn't have an engine
0:02:55 > 0:02:57and relies solely on the weather for power.
0:03:00 > 0:03:01- OK, Barra.- Great.
0:03:01 > 0:03:02Just put this on.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Obviously, this is just for emergencies,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07- I'm not going to need this! - Absolutely, totally!
0:03:07 > 0:03:09- There we go.- Brilliant.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16To get off the ground, we need a bit of help.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22There we are. We'll be off in about three seconds.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26One, two, three,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28- and that's us!- We're up!
0:03:29 > 0:03:32# Sunshiny day
0:03:32 > 0:03:34# Skies are so blue
0:03:34 > 0:03:36# And I'm leaving.. #
0:03:36 > 0:03:39We're going to go to 3,000 feet today, Barra.
0:03:39 > 0:03:413,000 feet? That's quite high up
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- for something that doesn't have an engine!- Well...
0:03:44 > 0:03:46HE LAUGHS
0:03:48 > 0:03:51One way the glider stays in the air is by using a thermal,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53which is a stream of rising warm air
0:03:53 > 0:03:56formed by the sun heating the ground.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00What do you know to look for at this stage?
0:04:00 > 0:04:04We'd try and interpret the clouds ahead of us,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and we'd look for nice young wispy clouds,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12which would be an indication of a thermal just starting to grow.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17And it's a perfect gliding day with lots of puffy cumulus clouds.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22You're in a privileged position. You have all sorts of weather
0:04:22 > 0:04:25coming from different directions that helps you?
0:04:25 > 0:04:27A multitude of different types of weather.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31The skill of a glider pilot is interpreting the weather
0:04:31 > 0:04:33on the day and making best use of it.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36That's what the sport of gliding is all about.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Extracting that awesome amount of energy
0:04:39 > 0:04:41which can be in the atmosphere.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46It's time to release ourselves from the tug plane and fly solo.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- OK, off we go.- Tell me when?- Now.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56- Wow! We're doing it ourselves! - That's it, we're on our own.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Wow, look at that. That is beautiful.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It's the weather now that is literally allowing us
0:05:07 > 0:05:09to fly without an engine.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Absolutely, we are soaring.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Ohh!
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Bit scary!
0:05:22 > 0:05:25The flying club is ideally situated
0:05:25 > 0:05:27at the foot hills of Binevenagh Mountain,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and Alan is going to use the mountain ridge to gain altitude.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34The wind hits the mountain and has nowhere to go but up,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36taking us with it.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- So that big burst, that was the lift?- Ridge lift.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45So the ridge lift is basically as the wind hits the bottom
0:05:45 > 0:05:49of the mountain and lifts up and essentially pushes us up in the air?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Yes, so we are getting lift all the way along there.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Whooo!
0:05:55 > 0:05:57You're going to give me a heart attack!
0:06:16 > 0:06:17That's just a very small taste
0:06:17 > 0:06:20of the energy that can be in the atmosphere, Barra.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23This must be how birds feel.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27This is really just harnessing the power of the weather.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Absolutely. That's what soaring and gliding is all about.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37# Cos I'm as free as a bird now
0:06:40 > 0:06:44# And this bird you cannot change... #
0:06:44 > 0:06:45You really do get a buzz from it.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Oh, absolutely, Barra.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49I've done a 300-kilometre flight.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52The buzz when you land and the sense of achievement.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54But I'll maybe come round now
0:06:54 > 0:06:59and head in the general direction of back towards the airfield. OK?
0:06:59 > 0:07:00OK.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Wow, that's a long way down!
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Generally, when we think of clouds,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13we think of, you know, there's a chance of rain here, what do we do?
0:07:13 > 0:07:15You know, bring the washing in...
0:07:15 > 0:07:17But we harness it for this.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20The weather might be keeping us airborne,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22but how do we land this thing?
0:07:24 > 0:07:25Oh-ho!
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Now I know what they mean by a wing and a prayer.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29- Here we go!- Yes.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Almost touchdown.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33Whoo!
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Wow! Touchdown!
0:07:40 > 0:07:43That's fantastic and surprisingly smooth!
0:07:43 > 0:07:44Oh, thank you.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45I didn't know what to expect there.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Thankfully, I didn't need my parachute.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50THEY LAUGH
0:07:54 > 0:07:57From gliding, which relies on clouds,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01to a profession that requires a cloudless sky.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Across Lough Foyle, as the crow, or indeed the glider flies,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09is the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and I'm going there now to meet up with photographer Martina Gardiner.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Martina's photographs are dramatic nightscapes
0:08:17 > 0:08:21featuring constellations, auroras and the Milky Way.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Although we have never met, I feel I know Martina.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I've followed her work on Facebook and Twitter.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Martina, you have a lot of night-time photographs here.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38It's a real passion of yours. What got you interested in it?
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Well, I was always interested in photography,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42but it's really in the last four or five years
0:08:42 > 0:08:45that I have got into night-time photography.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48There's something about being out there on a great starry night
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and just looking up and enjoying the stars,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54and I just can't help myself, I just love it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55It can't be as easy as that.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Looking at this photograph, that's fantastic,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00but surely you can't just go out and think,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02"I'm going to get that photo tonight"?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05No, to catch the Milky Way in a photograph,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07it has to be the right time of the month,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10that's a time when there is little or no moonlight.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13The other thing is you need an absolutely clear sky,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16so trying to get the two on the one night, that's the difficult part.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19What are the chances of both of those things
0:09:19 > 0:09:21happening at the same time?
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Well, we've picked the right day.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27There is no moon by the time we can photograph the Milky Way tonight,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and the weather, I'm not too sure about, it's a little iffy,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32but maybe you know better?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Sure, why don't we have a wee look before we head off?
0:09:35 > 0:09:38A few wee breaks in the cloud. Hopefully they'll continue
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- and we'll get a few photographs like this.- Yes, fantastic.- Perfect.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51We're off to Malin Head,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54the most northerly tip on the island of Ireland,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57with the wild Atlantic Ocean for a neighbour.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00You'll have heard of Malin Head as there's a weather station there.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05'Malin, south, five or six, fair, good. Hebrides...'
0:10:05 > 0:10:08And the weather element which distinguishes this
0:10:08 > 0:10:12from other stations throughout the country is the wind speed.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Storm force 12 winds are regularly recorded.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24We're heading beyond the station to the tower, as it's known locally.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29This is one of Martina's favourite locations to capture the night sky.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38The tower was built by the Admiralty in the early 1800s
0:10:38 > 0:10:42as part of a string of defences around the Irish coast
0:10:42 > 0:10:45to guard against a possible French invasion.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Well, it looks like we are in a bit of luck, some clear skies.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Yeah, it's always good when you see some clear skies, that's for sure.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56You've been here before when it's been like this,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and you've got amazing shots, maybe we'll get more of those tonight?
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Yeah, if we get a clear sky even in one direction
0:11:02 > 0:11:05we'll be able to work with it, so I'm quite optimistic so far.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08And, you know, normally, this is the windiest part of Ireland,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10but barely a breeze.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13I know, this is actually warm for Malin Head.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14It's really very, very nice.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16As beautiful as it is here,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19you can't just turn up with a camera and point it,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22you need to kind of know what you are doing, a little bit at least.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Yes. It's always a good idea to get to your location before dark,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29have a little look around, make sure it's safe and stuff.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32So tonight, we're trying to get the tower
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and trying to get as many stars as we can.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36So, if we look at this simple planisphere,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40it actually shows me where the stars are going to be tonight.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I know it's going to be dark, pitch-black at 10pm,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46so basically we want to look at the date that we are on right now
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and look at ten o'clock,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52and we can see that this area here,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56this milky area here of this map, this planisphere,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00stretches all the way from south west through to the north-east.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04So now, with my compass before it gets dark,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07I can decide where exactly we want to stand.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Where do you think the best place will be for us?
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Well, at the moment towards the north-east is looking really good,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16so we might just stand back here a little bit and set up there,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18and hope that that sky stays clear.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Do you want to go and get set up? - Yeah, let's go.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33This is the spot you reckon we'll get a good shot from?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Yeah, we'll get a good shot of the tower from here,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40and the sky is looking actually even better than I thought it might.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42We did have a look at the weather apps earlier,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46and it did tell us that the cloud was going to clear off for us,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48and it looks like it has done so.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Yeah, it's really shaping up nicely, I'm really very excited.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56OK, so tripod, camera, and that's us, we're ready to go.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59So, we just line it up here,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01and have a look,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04try to get all of the tower in and leave space for the stars as well.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05So, here we go.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09It's not looking too bad so far.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12No, the main thing is that we have got the whole tower there,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and we've got plenty of sky,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16so when that fills with stars it will be a pretty nice shot.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18It's not a bad night to wait out.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20I'm sure you've been here when it's been much worse,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22it's the windiest place in Ireland!
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Yeah, tonight, as nights at Malin Head go, this is amazing.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Having no wind is really something.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- So, sit back and wait for that perfect shot.- Yes.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35It mightn't be windy tonight, but it's cold. Very cold.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37It's no wonder the Romans called Ireland "Hibernia",
0:13:37 > 0:13:39the land of winter.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40We haven't got long to wait.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- That's hopefully going to heat us up for a wee while. Cheers.- Cheers.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- OK, Barra, we're ready for a shot. - OK, ready!
0:13:51 > 0:13:54So you've got to stay steady for 25 seconds.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Ready, and action!
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Deep breath in.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02I don't want to end up a blur on the landscape. Here goes!
0:14:03 > 0:14:06That looks great. Come on down and have a look.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07OK, breathe out.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10OK.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13Let's have a look.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Oh, that's fantastic!
0:14:16 > 0:14:18All the colours have really come out well, haven't they?
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Yeah, it turned out pretty well.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23We haven't got all the stars I'd like -
0:14:23 > 0:14:24a few stars at the top, but...
0:14:24 > 0:14:28The weather hasn't completely let us down, it's been a great day.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29Great photograph.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- It has got a bit chilly, though, hasn't it?- Yes!
0:14:32 > 0:14:34But it's all been worth it.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Maybe not as starry as Martina would have liked,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39but I think it's picture perfect.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46And, as beautiful day follows cold night,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48I make my way from County Donegal
0:14:48 > 0:14:51to the more temperate climate of County Down
0:14:51 > 0:14:54to meet up with organic farmer John McCormick.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- How are you? - I'm very well, thank you.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Perfect weather for the old garden, isn't it?
0:15:00 > 0:15:01It's beautiful. A beautiful day.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05John is passionate about growing organic food.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Locally produced and completely dependent
0:15:08 > 0:15:10on our Northern Irish climate.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16John, here we are, your field of tunnels. Different veg in every one?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19That's right. This is a row of four of our larger tunnels
0:15:19 > 0:15:21and we would have a four-year rotation going on
0:15:21 > 0:15:23between the four of them.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25You see some kohlrabi in there.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Carrots were in there first, now it's kohlrabi, then it'll be salad.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31So, different veg planted throughout the year?
0:15:31 > 0:15:33At least three crops per tunnel.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36John, a nice big tunnel here of cherry tomatoes.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38They've done well with our weather this year.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Yes, I'm very pleased with them.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43They're called Sakura, which is on the big side, you know.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46There's small cherry tomatoes and big cherry tomatoes.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49This would be on the big side. They're a very sweet tomato,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52so would be incredibly popular with children, as you can well imagine.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56And you've got your normal amount of crops for this year?
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Um...yes, by and large, the cropping would appear to be good.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03We normally go for seven or eight trusses. This is a truss.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06They start at the bottom and work up to the last truss at the top.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09This would be the eighth truss on this.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12So eight trusses is actually a very good yield.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15If that, between now and the middle of October, grows and ripens,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17what doesn't ripen will go to chutney.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19But they're actually doing very well.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22So another few weeks left and these boys here will be ready to pick.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Five, six weeks before I start taking them out.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Food is a requirement for all life,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32but we need the right weather to grow it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35County Down is one of the driest counties in Ireland.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37It must have some benefits for your farm.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Well, I'm very surprised to hear you say that.
0:16:40 > 0:16:46Because while parts of County Down are dry, we're in Helen's Bay.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51And Helen's Bay has a lock on one side and hills on the other side.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55And regularly, when it's raining here, I would phone my friends
0:16:55 > 0:16:59in Donaghadee or Newtownards even, and the sun would be shining.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01And we'd be sheltering from the rain.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04What can you do here that you can't do in the west?
0:17:04 > 0:17:06I suppose we're blessed in the sense that
0:17:06 > 0:17:08if you want to be a vegetable-grower,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10you're far better off on the east coast
0:17:10 > 0:17:12than you ever would be on the west coast.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17We can just about grow everything, except bananas and citrus.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20What I have noticed is we seem to be getting extremes.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22We're breaking records left, right and centre,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25we're getting the hottest days that have ever happened in the year,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28we're getting the wettest days that have ever happened in the year.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31And this does throw particular problems at farmers.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41These nets do a good job protecting against pest and rabbits,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44that kind of thing, but they also protect against our bad weather.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48That's right. We're finding increasingly that in the summertime,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51we're getting very, very heavy rainfall.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54And the result of that is it splashes the mud back up
0:17:54 > 0:17:56all over the lettuce and makes it unsalable.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58So the nets act as a barrier.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00So when the rain hits that, it diffuses
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and you don't get that splash.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12You've even had to dig trenches
0:18:12 > 0:18:15to keep the rainwater away from your greenhouses
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- because they were flooding.- Yes.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19What you find is that in the summertime, the ground is very hard.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Um...in the wintertime, the ground's very soft
0:18:22 > 0:18:24and you tend not to work machinery.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26And when the ground is soft, it will absorb the rain
0:18:26 > 0:18:29and filter it and allow it to flow away.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31But when it's hard, as it is in the summertime,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33it hasn't got the capacity to do that.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And the water hits it and has to flow over the surface
0:18:36 > 0:18:38rather than percolate through.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40And so, with this intensity of rain, what we're finding is
0:18:40 > 0:18:43it's actually flowing into the tunnel and flooding our tunnels.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45And now, as a consequence,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48we're putting in drains around all our tunnels to be able to
0:18:48 > 0:18:51catch the water and divert it away from the polytunnels.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06You also keep bees here. How has the weather affected them?
0:19:06 > 0:19:11Um...2015 has not been one of the great bee years.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15We had a cold May, which wouldn't have been nice for the bees.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18But they were busy enough and survived it
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and managed to build up to a decent brood size for June.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24And then we had a nice June, we had a good June.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27So the bees were very busy in June and there was plenty of nectar
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and pollen around and they started to bring in a lot of reserves.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33But then July turned wet and by the end of August,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35because we had another wet August,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38they'd already started to eat into those reserves.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41There can be up to 50-60,000 bees in a colony
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and they all need to be fed every day.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45If they can't get out to feed, they eat their reserves.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48So we won't be taking much honey off the bees this year
0:19:48 > 0:19:52simply because we want to leave them with the reserves that are there.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59so from earth to plate,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I'm going to sample John's organic produce.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03It's not often we get this here -
0:20:03 > 0:20:07dining al fresco style, food straight from the field.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09- Are you ready?- I am, indeed, yes. - Let's tuck in, eh?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- What do you think?- Very sweet.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Anyone who knows me knows that I don't like tomatoes,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- but that, I could eat all day. - Wonderful.- Very nice.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Why don't you try a carrot and see what you think of the carrots?
0:20:25 > 0:20:27- Carrot.- They're very traditional.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- Any difference to the flavour of these? Just normal?- You tell me.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33HE CRUNCHES
0:20:34 > 0:20:36- Very nice. Very sweet. - It's nice and sweet.- Mm-hmm.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Well, the secret to retaining the sweetness,
0:20:39 > 0:20:40in both tomatoes and carrots,
0:20:40 > 0:20:44is eat them fresh and don't cool them.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46The minute you put them in the fridge,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48they start to lose their sweetness,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50so if you can keep them at room temperature,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52they'll always retain that sweetness for much longer.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Well, everything you see on this plate, bar that bread,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59is actually grown within 40 metres of here.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01- Very nice.- I feel very privileged that I eat this
0:21:01 > 0:21:02every day for my lunch.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Well, thanks very much for letting me join you.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05- It's delicious.- It's my pleasure.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10# Well, my mama told me there'd be days like this... #
0:21:10 > 0:21:13But she also told me there would be days like this too.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14# Oh, my mamma told me... #
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Rain, rain, go to Spain, and never show your face again.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Nope, it doesn't work.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24MUSIC: Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall by Ella Fitzgerald
0:21:26 > 0:21:28In the wettest areas in Northern Ireland,
0:21:28 > 0:21:33over 55 days of rainfall is the norm in the three months of winter
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and over 45 days in summer.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38I'd like to be able to report that the sun shines continuously
0:21:38 > 0:21:42in summer, but that just wouldn't be true.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46# All the ducks are swimming in the water... #
0:21:46 > 0:21:48You'd be disappointed if I didn't say it,
0:21:48 > 0:21:49so I'm not going to let you down.
0:21:49 > 0:21:50It's great weather for ducks.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53# All the ducks are swimming in the water... #
0:21:53 > 0:21:56And this isn't an old wives' tale -
0:21:56 > 0:21:59research has confirmed that ducks like hanging out there in the pond
0:21:59 > 0:22:02to enjoy the rainy weather.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Something else that relies on rain is bogland
0:22:05 > 0:22:08'and the blanket bog of Cuilcagh Mountain in County Fermanagh
0:22:08 > 0:22:11'is one of the finest examples in Western Europe.'
0:22:20 > 0:22:23This may look like a nice, scenic path for the ordinary rambler
0:22:23 > 0:22:26but, of course, it's doing something important for
0:22:26 > 0:22:27the conservation of this area.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Yeah, the sole and only reason we put the boardwalk in
0:22:31 > 0:22:33is to help conserve the habitat.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36What was basically happening was the footfall of walkers was
0:22:36 > 0:22:38eroding this rare blanket bog,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41so we had to take some remedial action to protect it.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Today is quite a nice day but it's not great for the midges here.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- No.- We're being eaten alive. I think we need to go for a higher altitude.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- Yes, I think so.- Yes.- We could try and find a bit of a breeze.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56- Well, we're halfway up.- Mm-hmm. - It's longer than it looks, isn't it?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- It is, yes, indeed. - But some of the views -
0:22:59 > 0:23:01- they're spectacular. - The views are certainly worth it,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03there's no doubt,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and you're looking right across Fermanagh, here, out onto Donegal,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09so there you go. It's pretty breathtaking, all right.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12And, what, we've got about 2 or 300 steps still ahead of us?
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Well, we'll get there.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16I suppose we should just be grateful it's not raining.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17Yes, that's very true.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- So, no trees?- No, no trees, no.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Peat is not a very good growing medium so it's only the specialised
0:23:32 > 0:23:35plants that can tolerate those nutrient-poor conditions.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45We're almost at the top. Ooh...
0:23:45 > 0:23:50'The trail across the bogland is over 7km long and takes us to
0:23:50 > 0:23:54'the summit of Cuilcagh Mountain but, so far, it's been worth it.'
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Well, here we are, Richard, up to the top,
0:23:58 > 0:24:03660 metres and it's still quite squelchy, isn't it?
0:24:03 > 0:24:05And you can really tell that the rainfall
0:24:05 > 0:24:06has shaped this land in front of us.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Yes, it has a profound effect on the landscape around us.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12And how important is the bogland and why?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Well, the bog is important in its own right for its biodiversity
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and its intrinsic environmental value
0:24:17 > 0:24:20but, equally, it acts as a carbon store.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23This blanket bog and other bogs in Ireland are literally storing
0:24:23 > 0:24:25millions of tonnes of carbon.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28The peat is basically vegetation which hasn't completely rotted,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31so it's locked away in the bog over thousands and thousands of years
0:24:31 > 0:24:32so this is really...
0:24:32 > 0:24:35It's almost playing the same role as the Amazon rainforest
0:24:35 > 0:24:39in helping with climate change.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41This is a European protected habitat
0:24:41 > 0:24:44and, without that level of rainfall, it wouldn't exist.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46So, essentially, you don't mind Fermanagh being called
0:24:46 > 0:24:49one of the wettest counties of Northern Ireland if not Ireland?
0:24:49 > 0:24:52At times. No, on my day off, I'd rather it was a bit drier,
0:24:52 > 0:24:53maybe, sometimes, but what can you do?
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Well, still, like, today, the views are breathtaking,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58- I think.- Yes. Oh, it's fabulous, it really is.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09'And from a breathtaking but treeless landscape
0:25:09 > 0:25:13'to a lush forestry, and my pathway to the underground,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15'where the waters that fell on the Cuilcagh bogland
0:25:15 > 0:25:18'have made their way to the Marble Arch Caves.'
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- Michelle.- Hello. - How are you?- How are you?
0:25:21 > 0:25:24God, that's some walk. It's poor weather for it, though, isn't it?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- Yes. Are you ready to go underground?- I am, indeed. Let's go.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28- If you follow me, we'll head on in? - Perfect.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32'Michelle is going to be my guide through this fascinating
0:25:32 > 0:25:38'natural underworld of waterfalls, rivers, caves and winding passages.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40'It's beautiful and brilliant.'
0:25:40 > 0:25:42We're deep below Fermanagh,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and you may be forgiven for thinking that the weather above
0:25:45 > 0:25:47won't affect us, but it does.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Yes, it does. The rainwater that falls on Cuilcagh Mountain -
0:25:50 > 0:25:53it's actually the catchment area for the three rivers that
0:25:53 > 0:25:55flow into the Marble Arch Caves,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and we're actually making our way up one of the rivers,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00which is called the Cladagh Glen,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03so you can imagine that the weather that we experience in Fermanagh,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05and in particular up on Cuilcagh Mountain,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08has a large impact in relation to the show cave.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12We're able to come comfortably through this cave but that all
0:26:12 > 0:26:15depends on the amount of rainfall that we get above, doesn't it?
0:26:15 > 0:26:18This cave tour is very much weather-dependent.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20There's days where we have to opt that
0:26:20 > 0:26:22we actually don't have a cave tour available.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23It really depends on the blanket bog -
0:26:23 > 0:26:27whether or not the blanket bog is dry or if it's saturated.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30It depends if it's local rain or it has fallen at a distance
0:26:30 > 0:26:32and it also depends what the rivers are like -
0:26:32 > 0:26:35if they've had a period of time where they've dried up,
0:26:35 > 0:26:36or if there's water in it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39That is why the staff that work here monitor the weather forecast
0:26:39 > 0:26:41on a daily basis.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42You're actually going outside
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and visually looking at Cuilcagh Mountain to see if it's under cloud,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49if it's raining, what you think is happening on the mountain,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51because it has its own little climate.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54In terms of weather, what's your perfect scenario?
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Best case scenario is probably the rarest situation
0:26:59 > 0:27:01that we ever have, is that when we have a heat wave.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03I knew you were going to say that. SHE LAUGHS
0:27:03 > 0:27:06But even at the moment, you know, we've had a period,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09a whole week now, where we've had just dry weather.
0:27:09 > 0:27:10It's not hot, it's not sunny,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12but there's been no rain up on Cuilcagh Mountain
0:27:12 > 0:27:14and that changes everything.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It changes the amount of water coming off the mountain.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19It changes the atmosphere in the cave.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I really like it when we've had a little bit of rainwater
0:27:22 > 0:27:26and it's coming into the cave and the rivers are rising slightly
0:27:26 > 0:27:29and you can hear the rumbling of the river,
0:27:29 > 0:27:30and that is part of the experience
0:27:30 > 0:27:32and the excitement for members of the public,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34so people who do arrive on a rainy day,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I don't think they're losing out.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38I think they are seeing it in a different way
0:27:38 > 0:27:40and, to me, that's what it's all about.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Every cloud has a silver lining.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- Yes, we could say that. - THEY LAUGH
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The relationship we have with the weather is a complex one.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51We do enjoy sunshine
0:27:51 > 0:27:56and we might complain about days being wet and cold,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59but rain but is refreshing and wind is bracing,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02so I like think that there's no such thing as bad -
0:28:02 > 0:28:06only different types of good weather.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09There is scientific evidence that the profusion of red hair,
0:28:09 > 0:28:14fair skin and freckles is the result of living in a sun-starved climate.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15I'm living proof.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16So there you have it -
0:28:16 > 0:28:20no doubt that the weather is part of who we are and what we are.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Until next time, bye-bye.