Hmm..

I was kindly woken up at about 3 this morning to the lovely sound of our local warning siren screaming "Wake up and get to shelter!" Or as it more accurately sounded, "ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"

I live in Iowa, or the Midwestern part of the United States. Every year around this time we are constantly hit with storms (rain), thunderstorms, lightning storms, windstorms, hail storms, tornados, and floods. (no place like home to feel safe and sound)

Anyway, last night we think it was either another tornado, or the 85-90 mph winds that took half of the roof off of one of my barns, and about 15 trees on my northern plot.

This morning when I got up to see the damage, my first thought was "CAC NAOFA" if this expression exits in Irish.

But as we started clearing the trees with the tractor, I found myself wondering what are some good storm phrases in Irish.

storm - stoirm

rain storm- stoirm bháistí

thunderstorm - stoirm thoirní

windstorm - stoirm ghaoithe

hail storm - ???

lightning storm - ???

It is raining cats and dogs - ???

Take shelter immediately - ???

The sirens are going off - ???

I hope my car window down is up - ???

The calm before the storm - ???

Stay away from downed power lines - ???

There is no power - ???

We lost power again - ???

Look at that hail damage - ???

We had --- size hail - ???

Visibility is very poor - ???

Look at those clouds - ???

AND FINALLY

Good thing we lose the satellite dish every time there is bad weather, I would hate to be able to know the status of the deadly storm as it is happening. Instead, I think I will just sit here in my basement, in the dark, a guess what is happening. ;-)

It is raining cats and dogs - ??? Tá sé ag cur sceana gréasaí. (Féach "scian" in FGB.)

I always liked 'ag plúchadh sneachta' for a very heavy snowfall. 'Plúchadh' means suffocation or stifling or smothering. It's a very evocative metaphor.

My father in law, a Gaoth Dobhair man, says of very heavy rain 'Tá sé ag baint toit' as an talamh' - causing dust to rise from the ground by its force.

It never rains but it pours...

Dealán "a sudden burst of sunshine after a cloud" de réir Dineen.

There was an article which I cut out of Lá 17 Jan 2003 with a flood of words for rain. Perhaps I'll drag it out, ach táim gnóthach faoi láthair.

quote:

"a sudden burst of sunshine after a cloud"

... atá sa teideal "Cith is Dealán", gearrscéalta le Séamus Ó Grianna, ar ndóigh. Rud eile atá cosúil leis sin ná "fuinneoga ar an spéir". Tugann muid "sunbreaks" ar a leithéid anseo i Seattle.

Tá cnuasach de focail ar ghaoth in nGaoth an Fhocail chomh maith.

Anfa, cuaifeach a ritheann liom anois.

Power lines - línte cumhachta
Tá an cumhacht gearrtha
Táimid gan cumhacht

Níl focal agam ar siren: bonnán a mholann focal.ie (don rabhadh seachas don murúch ceolbhinn!)

Conamara translation :

It's raining cats & dogs : Tá sé fochain (ní aimseoidh tú Fochain sa bhfoclóir!) belting down amach ansin!

quote:

It is raining cats and dogs - ??? Tá sé ag cur sceana gréasaí. (Féach "scian" in FGB.)

D’fhoghlaim mé “tá sé ina sceana gréasaí” ag cainteoir scothaosta as Ceantar na nOileáin. Ciallíonn sé “tá fuacht as cuimse ann”…