0:00:03 > 0:00:07"Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it."
0:00:07 > 0:00:10A witticism attributed to writer Mark Twain.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15And we do talk about the weather a lot, but there is a good reason.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17The weather affects our lives every day,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19from the clothes we wear to the games we play.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22And while we can't do anything about the weather,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24we can certainly do things with it.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48My granny used to say it was a good drying day.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Before we had tumble dryers she put the washing out on the line
0:00:51 > 0:00:54to allow the wind to do its thing.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Today, we harness the energy of wind to power our businesses
0:00:57 > 0:00:59and our homes.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01A good drying day, 21st-century-style.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06The first wind farms appeared in Northern Ireland in the 1990s,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08and, since then, they have become a familiar sight,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11dotted around the countryside.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13This is Gruig Wind Farm in County Antrim,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17and this ten-turbine farm provides enough energy to power
0:01:17 > 0:01:19over 14,000 homes.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25In one year, a single wind turbine can generate
0:01:25 > 0:01:29enough electricity to make 230 million cups of tea.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33A good excuse, if one was needed, to put the kettle on.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39There is not another human being around, but with the turbines,
0:01:39 > 0:01:44a gentle wind and the warm sun for company, I am content.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Strangford Lough in County Down.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54It's beautiful in all seasons, especially in autumn,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59when tens of thousands of brent geese take advantage of tailwinds
0:01:59 > 0:02:02to carry them from their summer breeding grounds in Canada
0:02:02 > 0:02:04to their winter retreat in Ireland.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14I have come to Castle Espie to meet up with John McCullough
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and to see these remarkable birds for myself.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23You have a lot of birds here, but I suppose
0:02:23 > 0:02:25the big attraction at this time of year is the brent geese.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Very, very much so. I mean, these birds here that we see,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31they are in the zoo side of things at Castle Espie,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34but when you step beyond the gate here, you're looking at the wild.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36You are right out there, there is thousands
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and thousands of birds that have migrated a long journey to be here,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41so that is really what draws the crowds at this time of the year.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43How many are we talking?
0:02:43 > 0:02:45A couple of weeks ago, we did a count of 6,000 plus
0:02:45 > 0:02:47just on the north end of Strangford Lough.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49But we reckon now you could be talking about
0:02:49 > 0:02:5120,000 birds right across.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53And they have flown quite a distance from
0:02:53 > 0:02:55the Canadian Arctic all the way here.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56They have flown right the way down,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58over the southern tip of Greenland,
0:02:58 > 0:02:59they stop off in Iceland,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01because they need it as a staging ground, they need to feed
0:03:01 > 0:03:04up there, and then they make their way down into Strangford Lough.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07And I suppose they are really coming here for a vacation
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- away from the cold.- Of course they are.- This is their Caribbean.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Yeah, it is. Cos you imagine...
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Well, you'll know, that it is getting dark up there,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16getting cold up there, they are getting hungry up there,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18so the first thing they want to do is get here,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20relax and fill their stomachs.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22That's it, that's all they are doing.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37This is a lovely little sheltered bay here.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39It has got plenty of eelgrass - this sort of green stuff
0:03:39 > 0:03:42that you can see, Barra - this is what they are here to eat.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44So this bay holds quite a few brent geese -
0:03:44 > 0:03:47when the tide is coming in, you will get them flying over this
0:03:47 > 0:03:50pier here and they will drop in here.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53It's a massive number of the birds that come here.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Yeah, completely significant,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57brent geese put Strangford Lough on the map.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59This is why this area is so protected,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01because you're really talking about nearly
0:04:01 > 0:04:04the entire world's population of this bird that comes here.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06It is extremely significant.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13They might be small, but these birds have made
0:04:13 > 0:04:18an incredible 2,500-mile journey to reach our shores.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23They are really relying on a strong north-westerly wind to get here.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Oh, very much so.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27If the wind is blowing in the wrong direction on migration,
0:04:27 > 0:04:28they will not move. No point.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30They have only so much energy,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32so what they need is north-westerlies.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34If you can imagine, they are in the Arctic,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36they need to be pushed from behind, they are not going to
0:04:36 > 0:04:38fly into any southerlies coming up, cos, why?
0:04:38 > 0:04:40You'll expend so much energy.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42How can the weather affect the numbers?
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Well, there is many different ways the weather can affect them.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48If they have used up loads of energy on migration by battling
0:04:48 > 0:04:52against weather fronts, by the time they get there - breeding?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54They are just too tired, basically.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55When they are in the Arctic,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58if they haven't had a proper thaw up there, you have still got
0:04:58 > 0:05:01ice down there, you're not going to try and build a nest.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Even though it's a wee hollow in the ground,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05you don't want to be sitting on eggs in ice.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08So it can affect them, even in the breeding.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Sometimes the winds coming in from the northwest have been
0:05:18 > 0:05:21so good that the birds have managed to bypass Greenland
0:05:21 > 0:05:23and Iceland and come straight here.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Yeah, that is fairly remarkable, it does occasionally happen,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and it generally takes us by surprise.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Cos the scientists are waiting here,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and we kind of know when to expect them, suddenly when they all arrive
0:05:34 > 0:05:36in mass numbers early, we are just going,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38"How on earth did that happen?"
0:05:38 > 0:05:39And that is how it happens.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42The weather conditions are perfect, strong north-westerlies,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45constant north-westerlies, that push them right over Greenland
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and get them here, and that means the birds are in perfect condition.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50They're going to take advantage of that.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Of course they are, they would be daft not to.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55All the natural world takes those conditions into consideration.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57How long will they stay here once they arrive?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Well, they arrive in the autumn and will stay right through
0:05:59 > 0:06:02the winter, and then when we start hitting around about April, May -
0:06:02 > 0:06:05what we would consider, hopefully, to be springtime here -
0:06:05 > 0:06:07they are going to be turning round and heading
0:06:07 > 0:06:09back up towards the Arctic.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12They need a good north-westerly wind to get here, so I suppose
0:06:12 > 0:06:15they are looking for a good south-easterly wind to blow back.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Exactly. It is, again, weather-dependent, wind-dependent.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Why expend energy on the return journey?
0:06:20 > 0:06:23It is actually even, potentially, more hazardous on the return,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25because you have probably got the female bird,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28they have bred, the male has got to look after her,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31so they want everything to be perfect on the way back.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33And we are more likely to get north-westerly winds
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- than we are the other way around. - Unfortunately.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38So it is good for them in the autumn. In the spring,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41it can be a wee bit more of a sort of big, big journey for them.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47That's them just out there?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Yeah, just in a big raft there. Now that the tide is fully in,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54the birds can't reach the eelgrass below them, so they'll actually just
0:06:54 > 0:06:58go and float out to sea and generally just have a snooze.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00- They just chill on the water... - That's it.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- ..until they can feed again. - All it is is sleeping and feeding.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Five hours of doing nothing, floating on the water.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- Sounds perfect, doesn't it? - Sounds great, doesn't it?
0:07:17 > 0:07:19There is plenty of truth in the saying that
0:07:19 > 0:07:23a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and I am going to
0:07:23 > 0:07:27attempt to get up close, nose to beak, with the resident geese.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29I think we have got somebody a little bit hungry.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32But an absolutely magnificent bird.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34It's weird, you kind of expect them to bite your hand.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36'No biting the hand that feeds you, now.'
0:07:36 > 0:07:37HE LAUGHS
0:07:37 > 0:07:39No? No more? All done?
0:07:49 > 0:07:53As evening falls over Strangford Lough, the brent geese feed
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and settle down for the night in their winter home.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I am staying in this rich and fertile land.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23County Down has its own fields of gold.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I'll never underestimate the importance of why people
0:08:30 > 0:08:34get in touch to find out what our weather is going to do.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Should they be trying to organise a barbecue
0:08:36 > 0:08:37or paint the garden fence?
0:08:37 > 0:08:40But for some, their livelihoods depend on it.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44So I have come here to find out how important an accurate forecast is.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53This is Alan Chambers, and his farm is on the Lecale Peninsula.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00We are surrounded on three sides by water, so we are quite mild.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03We don't get heavy frosts, but probably the most important thing
0:09:03 > 0:09:07is that we have the lowest annual rainfall in Northern Ireland.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11And that is between 28 and 30 inches. Why is that?
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Well, we are on the sheltered side of the Mourne Mountains,
0:09:13 > 0:09:17so the Atlantic fronts that bring the weather,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19the showers and the rain in, tend to deposit
0:09:19 > 0:09:22most of the rain on the far side of the mountains from here.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28It is an arable area, and Allan can grow crops that
0:09:28 > 0:09:32most of Northern Ireland's farmers find difficult to do.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36We are growing three crops - wheat, barley and forage maize.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40All those crops need to be drilled and sown in dry conditions,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43when the ground is suitable. And when it comes to looking
0:09:43 > 0:09:47after them, we have to have low wind for doing spraying,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50good ground conditions to get machines on the field.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Today, we are harvesting the wheat.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55We have been watching the weather carefully,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59because we want to get the machines in when the grain is at its driest.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And quite a spell of good weather is needed to get the wheat
0:10:02 > 0:10:03ready for harvest.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Sunshine ripens the grain.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11So four or five weeks ago, this was quite wet, quite mushy.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16Today, because of the sun and the wind, this has dried out,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20and I have got a little sample of grain here which will...
0:10:20 > 0:10:21CRUNCH
0:10:21 > 0:10:22..crunch between my teeth.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25That means, basically, it is about ready to harvest.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28What has got me there? Sunshine and wind.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I have been an arable farmer now for 50 years.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Basically, my life has been ruled by the weather.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40I need to plan ahead,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44I need to know when I'm going to get these windows that will
0:10:44 > 0:10:46open for me to get big machines into the fields,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50or get my crops sprayed, or get my fertiliser on.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53So I watch the weather forecast every day,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56sometimes four or five times a day, not only to see
0:10:56 > 0:10:59what it is going to do the next day,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01but, say, in four or five days' time.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Allan is going to be under a bit of pressure to get
0:11:03 > 0:11:07the harvest in before the weather breaks.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Two days ago, it looked like we were going to get four dry days.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Yesterday, there seemed to be a change coming about,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and this morning, we are told that there
0:11:15 > 0:11:17could be very heavy rain by Friday afternoon.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20We will try to get this grain harvested
0:11:20 > 0:11:25and the straw baled up and looked after before the weather breaks.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29That might mean working until 11, 12 o'clock tonight,
0:11:29 > 0:11:30one o'clock in the morning.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35If the breeze keeps up and there is no dew, we can work away.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Everything going well, a couple of days, three days,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41we will have the grain safely in store
0:11:41 > 0:11:44and my year's work will have reached its fulfilment.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54I am glad the weather was kind to Allan, and all farmers.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Another worry over for another year.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12I like my weather like I like my tea - not too hot, not too cold -
0:12:12 > 0:12:15and the Gulf Stream does that for me, it regulates the temperature.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16How does it do it?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Well, it is a strong, swift, warm Atlantic current
0:12:19 > 0:12:22that goes along the east coast of the United States
0:12:22 > 0:12:26and makes Ireland warmer than it would be otherwise.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29A small tendril of the Gulf Stream called the North Atlantic Drift
0:12:29 > 0:12:33comes towards Ireland, and this warms the surrounding waters.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Think of it like our own hot water bottle.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Also thanks to the Gulf Stream, the north coast of Ireland
0:12:48 > 0:12:52picks up consistent amounts of Atlantic swell.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53People say to me,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57"Barra, I remember summer last year - it was on a Tuesday!"
0:12:57 > 0:13:00We have some of the best beaches in Europe, but it is
0:13:00 > 0:13:02very rare that someone feels brave or optimistic enough
0:13:02 > 0:13:04to go into the sea.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08But one man who is not afraid to look into the eye of the storm
0:13:08 > 0:13:10is big-wave surfer Al Mennie.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21Al has surfed all over the world in search of that perfect wave.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22AL LAUGHS
0:13:24 > 0:13:27And weather is the hinge on which surfing depends.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38A surfing globetrotter Al may be,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41but he caught his first wave closer to home.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I got into surfing through being on the beach at Castlerock
0:13:44 > 0:13:45at the age of nine.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48My brother and I surfed, my mum and dad. We have always had
0:13:48 > 0:13:50boats in the family, so it seemed to be normal
0:13:50 > 0:13:52to be in the sea, you know?
0:13:52 > 0:13:54And when lots of people think of surfing,
0:13:54 > 0:13:55they picture Australia,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58they picture California, but we have people coming from all over
0:13:58 > 0:14:01the world to surf here on the north coast and along the west coast.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Yeah, we have excellent waves, we just... It's colder here, obviously.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And it is wild in the winter, but we do have very good waves,
0:14:08 > 0:14:09especially on the north coast.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Our prevailing wind direction is southwest,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13so that is the best wind for us to have,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16because it blows offshore and cleans up the surface of the waves.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18And when I am thinking about the weather,
0:14:18 > 0:14:19I am thinking about
0:14:19 > 0:14:22when the next batch of rain is going to come in from the Atlantic,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24but when you're thinking about surfing,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27you're looking at systems around the globe, almost.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Yeah, well, in order for us to get surf here on the north coast,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33we need weather to happen in other parts of the world
0:14:33 > 0:14:35to send those waves to us.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37There's a misconception where people think, "Oh, it's really
0:14:37 > 0:14:40"windy by the sea, there'll be good waves for surfing."
0:14:40 > 0:14:42That's not how it is, that's not the kind of waves we look for.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45In particular, I look for these storms,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48these deep depressions starting to form down in the Atlantic,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51over towards the Caribbean, and, believe it or not,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53if we see hurricanes down there, we're sitting here going,
0:14:53 > 0:14:58"There's going to be waves in seven to ten days" sort of thing.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Those storms, when they hit the Caribbean, generate huge waves.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04What height are we talking here?
0:15:04 > 0:15:06At sea, in the middle of these storms,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09you're talking 50, 60-foot waves sometimes.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12When they come to the coast, they're different, they can be bigger,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14they can be smaller, it depends how
0:15:14 > 0:15:17that reacts as it moves through the sea.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26'Al is taking me around the coast now to check out
0:15:26 > 0:15:29'a few of his favourite surfing spots.'
0:15:29 > 0:15:33What is the highest wave you've surfed off the coast of Ireland?
0:15:33 > 0:15:34Erm...
0:15:34 > 0:15:36- probably over 60 feet.- Impressive.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Was that during a storm of some sort?
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Yeah, that was actually back in 2008, at the time it
0:15:41 > 0:15:43was during the biggest recorded swell in the Atlantic.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46All this technology, we can see all the different swells
0:15:46 > 0:15:48and the wind forecast and everything coming together,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and they can predict where the waves are coming to,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and then we've got wave buoys in locations,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and a wave buoy is basically a measuring device on the ocean,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and it's moving with the swell and with the wind
0:15:58 > 0:16:01and recording all this data. When I log in to the internet,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I see these waves buoys and it's telling me it's 25-foot swell
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and there is a wave period of 15 seconds, I know what is coming.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10That is very, very valuable information.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19And sometimes, Al finds big waves in unexpected locations.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22MUSIC: Riptide by Vance Joy
0:16:22 > 0:16:23# Running down to the riptide
0:16:23 > 0:16:25# Taken away to the dark side
0:16:25 > 0:16:28# I wanna be your left-hand man... #
0:16:30 > 0:16:34And sometimes it's Al who provides the photo opportunity.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36We are at the Giant's Causeway,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39one of our most popular tourist destinations to see
0:16:39 > 0:16:41all of the rocks, but you like to come here to surf.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42How dangerous is it?
0:16:42 > 0:16:45This is one of the most dangerous places you can go surfing -
0:16:45 > 0:16:47I would not advise it to anyone, it is dangerous here.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51And it is because of all the rocks in particular, and it just gets
0:16:51 > 0:16:54battered here, it is an extremely rough, wild part of the coast.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57And these are the charts that you use to figure out where to go.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59This is an Admiralty chart.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03It shows the depth of the ocean and various currents.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- If you look on here, this is where we are just at the minute.- Uh-huh.
0:17:06 > 0:17:07I look at the depth of the sea
0:17:07 > 0:17:11and then look what direction is the swell and various things like that.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13So if you imagine, I am sitting out here normally,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15just where we are,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19I am looking for a big storm way up in the North Atlantic.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Way, way up there, so the winds are kept away,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23it's all crazy chaos out there.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26It pushes these swells in towards the coast like that,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28and then locally, here we have got
0:17:28 > 0:17:31the local weather system which is giving us light offshore winds.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34That is ideal to push off against the swell, to clean it all up.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35Smoothing out the waves.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37And here we have got these massive cliffs,
0:17:37 > 0:17:38they kill the winds. So if it is
0:17:38 > 0:17:40a really strong windy day, for example -
0:17:40 > 0:17:42say it is 25mph wind - that big cliff
0:17:42 > 0:17:44will knock the wind out of it, so it could be down to ten.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46So in here could be nice and smooth and clean,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48despite out here being very rough.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Al's enthusiasm is infectious, and I certainly wasn't going
0:17:53 > 0:17:56to let one of the best surfers in the world go without a lesson.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59MUSIC: I Get Knocked Down by Joey Ramone
0:17:59 > 0:18:01# I got knocked down But I'll get up
0:18:01 > 0:18:04# I got knocked down But I'll get up... #
0:18:04 > 0:18:06BARRA SHOUTS
0:18:08 > 0:18:13OK, it isn't a 60-foot wave, but it is still a huge achievement for me.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15# I got-got knocked down But I'll get up. #
0:18:21 > 0:18:23BARRA WHOOPS
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Let's get the latest on the weather forecast now.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29While Al's looking at the bigger picture
0:18:29 > 0:18:33and what the weather is doing out in the Atlantic...
0:18:33 > 0:18:35most of us want to find out what the weather
0:18:35 > 0:18:37is doing closer to home.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39People no longer want just the forecast,
0:18:39 > 0:18:44they want a "nowcast" - an immediate real-time report on the weather.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47And you already help us do that by posting
0:18:47 > 0:18:52photographs on Twitter, Facebook and on the BBC Weather Watchers website.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57It looks like a great day in the Orchard County of Armagh.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Well named.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Today, more than 4,000 acres of Armagh is dedicated to
0:19:04 > 0:19:07apple-growing, and I am at one of the orchards today to meet up
0:19:07 > 0:19:09with Philip Troughton.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Philip, looking around, it seems summer has been kind to you.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Is this a normal crop?
0:19:14 > 0:19:17This is a late-flowering variety,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and it has actually cropped reasonably well.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21In fact, very well.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23That is really two reasons why
0:19:23 > 0:19:25we can grow apples in County Armagh,
0:19:25 > 0:19:26why we DO grow apples in County Armagh.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27One is tradition - there is
0:19:27 > 0:19:31a tradition of apple growing in the area. The others is climate.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Because of the influence of Lough Neagh, there is
0:19:34 > 0:19:37a small area between the rivers Blackwater
0:19:37 > 0:19:41and Bann where we get slightly less early spring frosts.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45And early spring frosts is what totally determines how many
0:19:45 > 0:19:46apples or what crop we grow.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49So it really is that weather-dependent for you?
0:19:49 > 0:19:51It is totally weather-dependent.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53What way does your season work, then?
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Well, the apples come into flower in May.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59This year we had a bit of early spring frost, which did
0:19:59 > 0:20:02a certain amount of damage and lessened the crop,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04I would say, maybe by 50%.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07But you have come at a particularly nice time of the year.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10These apples are very close to harvest.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13You can see the crops there are.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Could you do this anywhere else in Northern Ireland?
0:20:21 > 0:20:24There is no apples grown anywhere further north than
0:20:24 > 0:20:25the southern shore of the lough.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28In the UK, there are no apples grown
0:20:28 > 0:20:30north of Birmingham.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33We are at a level with Stranraer
0:20:33 > 0:20:36in Scotland, so we are probably
0:20:36 > 0:20:38200 miles north of where apples are grown in the UK.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41So, literally, its own little microclimate?
0:20:41 > 0:20:42It is a very little microclimate
0:20:42 > 0:20:44which just happens to suit this area.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47You have got quite a lot of land here
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and these aren't the only types of apple you grow.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53In total, we have about 80 acres of orchard on the farm.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56We started off as a Bramley apple grower,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00and the variety needs other apples mixed in with it to produce a crop.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04So that allowed us to grow lots and lots of eating apples,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and also we planted cider apples.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15How does the weather influence the taste of your apples?
0:21:15 > 0:21:18It's like everything, Barra, everything likes sunny weather -
0:21:18 > 0:21:22people, animals, apples, crops.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27The sunshine will increase the sugar levels in the apples,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and the increased sugar levels allow us to make cider.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33It is the sugars in the apples that make the alcohol.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36So these eating apples will be pressed into juice,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and that juice can either be pure apple juice,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43or it can be blended off and made into cider.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46That process takes us about six months. There is other by-products.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Whenever we make the cider,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50we can change that into apple cider vinegar.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Whenever these apples are pressed,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55the by-product of that is basically dry apple,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and that we can send for cattle feed.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01It actually increases milk production?
0:22:01 > 0:22:04In a dairy herd, apples will increase milk production.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It would be a bit like the spring flush of grass.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12'If an apple a day does actually keep the doctor away,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15'then I have come to the right place.'
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Weather affects everything we do, in work and play.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37Clouds, clear skies, wind, rain and sunshine -
0:22:37 > 0:22:40all have their part to play.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43What we really need now is a perfect day.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Put your elbows in, watch your toes.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- This is why you have no hair, it is burned off.- Occupational hazard.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Hands off one second, hands off.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10And we're off. Fantastic.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Just going to gently float down here,
0:23:15 > 0:23:16see what is happening with the winds.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- It is remarkably smooth, isn't it? - Yeah, it is.- Wow.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30It is just so peaceful up here, you can barely hear a sound.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31BURNER BLASTS
0:23:31 > 0:23:33In fact, the only sound is from the flame-thrower
0:23:33 > 0:23:35that's keeping us up in the air.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45This is a lovely smooth ride,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47but you can't help feel a little helpless.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Yeah, well, to a certain extent, we are.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52The wind is taking us a direction, but I am controlling the height,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and that is the important thing, so we are still off the ground.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59# Somewhere over the rainbow
0:24:01 > 0:24:04# Way up high
0:24:06 > 0:24:12# And the dreams that you dream of
0:24:12 > 0:24:16# Once in a lullaby... #
0:24:16 > 0:24:19It is not often we get perfect weather like this.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20What do you look for?
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Weather conditions in Northern Ireland maybe aren't
0:24:23 > 0:24:24the most suitable, but we need
0:24:24 > 0:24:26steady, still conditions like tonight.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Winds - eight knots maximum, five is ideal
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- like we're having here tonight - and no rain.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33What happens when we get rain?
0:24:33 > 0:24:34BURNER BLASTS
0:24:34 > 0:24:35Well, if we get rain,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37we're sitting down in the restaurant
0:24:37 > 0:24:38- wishing we were ballooning.- Why?
0:24:38 > 0:24:42No, unfortunately, if you imagine, rain gets under
0:24:42 > 0:24:45the envelope, it gets wet, it gets heavier, it gets colder,
0:24:45 > 0:24:46it makes it harder to fly,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and the material itself would get ruined in the wet conditions.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52On average, how many days do you get to do this in Ireland?
0:24:52 > 0:24:55This year we have been quite lucky, having to do a day job
0:24:55 > 0:24:58at the same time, but this year we have got about 15 flights in.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00That is from April through to, well,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I imagine this could be the last flight of the year for us,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07in October, because the weather starts to change now.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09The daylight is starting to disappear
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and therefore it is not as easy to get out.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13So our typical unpredictable Irish weather is not great for you -
0:25:13 > 0:25:16why would you want to balloon here?
0:25:16 > 0:25:18They always say if you learn to balloon in Northern Ireland,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20you will be able to fly anywhere.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23If you look down around you, the fields are small,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25there are a lot of electric wires, a lot of animals about,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28so it is fun, it's a good activity
0:25:28 > 0:25:31because there is a wee bit of thinking needed rather than
0:25:31 > 0:25:34having 40-acre fields that anyone could put the balloon into.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38# So let's spend the afternoon in a cold hot-air balloon
0:25:38 > 0:25:42# Leave your jacket behind, lean out and touch the tree tops... #
0:25:42 > 0:25:45So now we are drifting down, but you are controlling this.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Yes, I am controlling the descent,
0:25:47 > 0:25:49and we are actually going to go over the forest here.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52What you will find, we have picked up in speed
0:25:52 > 0:25:54because it is a bit cooler over the forest.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56One thing about the weather and the temperature is,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59the sun warms up the ground at different rates, so therefore
0:25:59 > 0:26:01a ploughed field would be different
0:26:01 > 0:26:03to a grass field, to an actual forest.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08When you are planning a balloon flight in the morning,
0:26:08 > 0:26:09what conditions are you looking for?
0:26:09 > 0:26:13A lovely frosty morning is perfect, where you have got still air
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and coldness, because if you imagine,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17what we are trying to do is heat up the air in the envelope,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19so the colder the air is around it,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23the less temperature we have to add to the envelope to make this go up.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28The unpredictable nature of Irish weather
0:26:28 > 0:26:29makes ballooning very difficult.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32We have touched lucky today, the weather is perfect.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36# I see skies of blue
0:26:36 > 0:26:40# And clouds of white
0:26:40 > 0:26:43# The bright blessed day
0:26:43 > 0:26:45# The dark sacred night... #
0:26:45 > 0:26:46Tonight is great.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48If you look at any of the trees, even the wind turbines,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50very little movement on them.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53But there is enough movement here to actually move us across the air.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Your ideal flight time, then, is around dawn and dusk.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Yeah, if you're in there ready to take off in the field
0:26:58 > 0:27:01just as day breaks in the mornings, that's perfect timing,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04and then in the evenings, you have to be down by sunset.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07So you are talking the hour, hour-and-a-half before sunset.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10It's because the thermals during the day can cause you problems.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Yeah, the thermals are unpredictability to a balloon,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16because it will move from one thermal to the next thermal,
0:27:16 > 0:27:17and that is not good because you're
0:27:17 > 0:27:19losing full control of the balloon.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21At the moment, we have control,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24because we're going with the wind in the one direction.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27# Yes, I think to myself... #
0:27:27 > 0:27:30From this height, I can appreciate Mother Nature
0:27:30 > 0:27:32in all her splendour.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35# ..what a wonderful world
0:27:42 > 0:27:45# Oh, yeah. #
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Anywhere in our part of the world can make your senses dance or sing
0:28:04 > 0:28:06if the weather's right.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Take a walk in the hazy sunshine, but enjoy it,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13because the clouds floating above might not have a silver lining.
0:28:13 > 0:28:14Until next time, bye-bye.