Too many weather warnings ‘infantilise’ adults who should be making their own decisions, The Home Show presenter Sinéad Ryan has said.

The weather is currently the coldest it has been in Ireland for many years and Met Éireann has forecast it could plunge as low as -11C in certain parts of the country. 

The cold snap has huge implications for certain sections of society but Sinéad believes authorities often overemphasise the difficulties. 

'I just felt exhausted'

“I think there’s an awful lot of infantalising that goes on,” she said. 

“When we get the slightest weather event, whether it’s frost or snow or lashings of rain or whatever. 

“Don’t get me wrong, there’s times when there is catastrophe but it’s incredibly rare. 

“I looked out my window the other evening and it was half an inch - maybe? 

“And it was very pretty and I went out and took an Insta photograph and updated my feed and thought, ‘I wonder will I make it to the shops tomorrow?’ 

“But the point is, I woke up in the morning and it was wall to wall doomsayers; advice, experts, how it’s going to affect the traffic, how it’s going to affect kids, how it’s going to affect older people. 

“‘Your flights will be cancelled; your pets will freeze to death!’ 

“I just felt exhausted and I hadn’t even got up to enjoy it. I just think there’s too much of that going on.” 

09/12/2022. DUBLIN AIRPORT DE ICE - ING. Dublin, Ireland. Pictured Dublin Airport crews de ice aircraft waiting to depart at Dublin airport this morning. Photo: Sam Boal /Rollingnews.ie

Overall, Sinéad believes that there should be more individual responsibility. 

“There comes a point where you have to let adults be adults,” she said. 

“These are grown up people who can open their front door, stick their head out the window and make a call on it. 

“And decide, you know what, I will go to work… We’re talking about a couple of inches [of snow] and it’s okay for me to decide whatever the hell I want for myself in that.”

Met Éireann's Orange weather warning is due to last from 6pm on Wednesday until Thursday at noon.

Main image: Split of Sinéad Ryan and a man walking along a frosty street.