Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is an Irish postman from County Donegal, known for accurately predicting weather-related events in Ireland. He studies the behaviour of animals and plants to determine the nature of the weather. His predictions have been disputed by Met Éireann and their scientific methods yet he says between 70 and 80 per cent of his predictions come true. According to The Irish Times, he is the most well-known amateur forecaster in Ireland.

Biography Gallagher has been a postman for more than 40 years.

Gallagher has been involved in the prediction of weather events for at least 25 years.

In May 2009, he predicted sunny weather for the Irish summer. In July 2009, he predicted that sunny weather would end on 22 August, that the weather would deteriorate after this time but improve again that September. He pointed to the way animals such as cattle, foxes and sheep were behaving and the way in which the grass had grown in late October. Met Éireann officials have stated that they could not tell at that time if it was likely there would be a snowfall.

He predicted 2010's spell of freezing weather. "plenty of snow" before Christmas 2012. The Met Éireann December 2012 Monthly Weather Bulletin recorded limited snow on three days, all confined to areas in the Midlands and West. Overall, Met Éireann summarised the weather in that month as "wet and warm in parts".

In June 2015, he predicted "a very good summer" for 2015, adding that the weather would "inevitably bring heavy downpours and plenty of thunder". The Met Éireann Summer 2015 report noted that the summer was "cool everywhere; wet and windy in most parts" with mean air temperatures all below average and with above average rainfall. Ireland West Airport recorded its dullest summer since the station opened in 1996.

He predicted the heatwave of 2018.