Flowers have been spotted budding and the unwanted sound of coughing stock has been heard in sheds across the country.

The mercury hit 14°C on the east coast this week, but it is still some way off a record, according to the climate department in Met Éireann.

However, the boffins in Glasnevin on Dublin’s north side said the record temperature in December was way back when in 1948. The temperature hit a toasty 19°C on in December that year. We’re still some way off that.

Housed stock

It’s nearly t-shirt and shorts weather for the most of us, so you can image how cattle are getting on in sheds.

John Gimore is a vet in Elphin and he told me that he has more coughing cattle this week.

“There has a fairly sizeable increase in respiratory diseases alright. We’ve seen pneumonia and other diseases… the advice to farmers would be move them to a colder place and make sure there’s plenty of ventilation. Some diseases like RSV could be prevented with a vaccine,” he said.

What’s causing the rise in temperature

While climate change is a very real concern, despite what this lad says, and global temperatures are rising, global warming is not to blame.

Instead the brainiacs in Met Éireann tell me that it is because of something much more normal.

The mild conditions this week are being driven by a southerly airflow. This has seen temperatures rise to about 4°C to 5°C degrees above the average.

These events occur every two to three years according to the climate department and usually last about a week.

So, we can expect a return to nippier weather in the coming days so. No white Christmas, but no turkey on the beach either it seems.

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Weekend weather: mild and dry days ahead