A leading climate change expert has said that the risk of extreme storms in the west of Ireland has risen by 25% because of global warming.

Professor Myles Allen from the University of Oxford believes that extreme weather is becoming more of a pattern.

Professor Allen, who is due to speak at University College Cork tonight, said: “We are seeing the first signs of an increase in risk in extreme storms.

“This is probably the most subtle of the various effects we’re seeing on northwest Europe’s weather, but it stands to reason we would see an increase in storminess resulting from a more energetic atmosphere that’s been warmed up by greenhouse gasses.”