Cathal bids to develop independent weather forecasting service

Offaly forecaster Cathal Nolan of Ireland's Weather Channel has set up a GoFundMe to raise €5,000 so that he can upgrade his equipment and build a platform to deliver higher quality forecasts.

The Rhode native has delivered forecasts to the general public for just over a decade, providing honest, accurate forecasts to a wide audience and helping the public plan for the uncertainty Irish weather can throw at us from time to time.

Cathal said that it's been his dream to become a weather forecaster since he was five-years-old. “That dream still burns within me except now I wish to build Ireland’s first Independent forecast service. With your support we can make this dream a reality.”

He is currently working on Ireland's Weather Channel in a voluntary capacity and also works full-time for a renewable energy company as a climate and sustainability officer.

Cathal explained that the money raised will allow him to develop a fully equipped weather studio with better graphics and a large screen for live weather forecasts, camera and sound equipment and initial funding to develop a website and develop other forecasting services. Cathal thanked people for the generosity to date and is planning some fundraising nights with live music and spot prizes on the night in the near future.

With the money raised from the fundraiser, Cathal intends to purchase the required equipment and build a platform that will deliver higher quality forecasts free of charge to the public, at the touch of a button.

He said he has always wanted to develop the country's first Independent forecast service. Cathal set up Offaly Weather Channel in 2013 which quickly became the Midlands Weather Channel before it developed into Ireland's Weather Channel following the Beast from the East weather event in 2018.

An independent forecasting service is a private forecasting service. Met Éireann is a government agency funded by the Irish tax payers, whereas Ireland's Weather Channel will be a privately funded service which offers private forecasts to industry and private customers, while retaining a free public service through its existing and emerging channels of communication. Cathal explained: “Ireland remains one of only a handful of countries which doesn't have other domestic weather providers. It's my belief that the monopolisation of any industry is ultimately bad for the public as it restricts competition.”

In time, he hopes he to be able further expand the services offered and employ a team of forecasters.

The weather channel has been constantly building since 2013 and, now, he believes that the time has come for him to provide a service that he believes is in demand. “We can see from some of the more recent kinds of weather events that there's a significant demand for services.” He said that businesses will be able to avail of the service to help plan business activities.

The funds raised from the GoFundMe will be used to build a weather studio and to obtain better camera, sound and filming equipment. Cathal said the funds will also be used for licensing with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts so that he can avail of their data, which will provide him with even more accurate forecasts. He also hopes to avail of the services of a graphic designer to create branding logos and to improve the quality of the forecaster's graphics along with building a website and weather app in the future.

The GoFundMe was set up on Friday, March 1 has raised over €4,000 to date and Cathal said he has been “blown away” by the support for the fundraiser so far.

The Offaly man said that it was important for him to have community input into the service. “At the beginning it was very much founded with community in mind and purpose and to be able to be backed by the community, it strengthened that bond that we're looking to create.” Along with the GoFundMe, Cathal also aims to raise money through various supports and partnerships with other businesses.

“The key for me is to develop an alternative service to that which is provided by the national provider.” He highlighted the importance of having private and public sector services. “There's a place for both to operate so certainly my goal would be establishing that independent forecasting service."

Cathal, who holds a Master’s in Climate Change: Science and Impacts and a Master's in Politics along with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and History from University College Dublin, vowed to continue to expand Ireland’s Weather Channel to attract quality talent to work with the channel and to eventually grow it into a “fully fledged independent forecast and service” that can accommodate large scale businesses along with continuing to serve the general public.

To donate to the fundraiser visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-irelands-weather-channel.