TOMORROW, March 23rd, is World Meteorological Day. It is not an occasion peculiar to 1996: but, as readers of this column will be well aware, an annual event whose raison d'etre is a benign exercise in propaganda. The objective is to try to focus the attention of the general public for one day each year on the importance of meteorology in modern life - on its capabilities, its methods, its achievements and its limitations, thereby engendering in the world at large a better understanding of the science and an increased awareness of its usefulness.
This year, however, has posed something of a problem: World Meteorological Day proper falls upon a Saturday, and no one in Ireland does anything of consequence on Saturdays. So already it may well be, as one of Jewett's characters remarks in The Country of the Pointed Firs, that "Taint's worthwhile to wear a day out before it comes", meteorologists nevertheless intend to celebrate in advance.
The Meteorological Service, for example, proposes to mark WMD 1996 by unveiling a brand new corporate image. Indeed from now on, as far as you, the man on the Dalkey omnibus, are concerned, it will not be the Meteorological Service any more at an intimate and tasteful ceremony in Glasnevin this morning, Mr Emmett Stagg, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications, will formally rename it MetEireann. Also unveiled at the gathering this morning will be a brand new logo for the service - an indigenous Irish swirl, aptly reminiscent of a deep depression sweeping in from the Atlantic. Watch out for it on RTE this evening.
The Irish Meteorological Society no relation, as they say - is also celebrating later on today. Its annual World Meteorological Day Lecture will take place at the usual venue in the UCD premises in Earlsfort Terrace at 8 p.m. tonight. It is a double feature, a talk entitled "Applications of Environmental Data in Off shore and Coastal Engineering" delivered, presumably in series rather than in parallel, by Brendan Dollard and Gerard Keane of Forbairt.
The talk, to which everyone is welcome, will tell on the one hand how those engaged in off shore oil exploration cope with the unfavourable elements. Closer to home, the speakers will outline the latest thinking on the topical subjects of coastal erosion, harbour design, and various other facets of the interface twixt land and sea.