THIS SUMMER "holds good promise for fine weather" and is set to be better than last year with a warm September, according to one long-range weather forecaster.

Ken Ring, from New Zealand, has accurately predicted the Irish summer weather for the Sunday Tribune and Today FM's Last?Word radio show for a number of years and he believes Ireland will have "more sunshine this year than last year."

While Met Éireann do not carry long-range forecasts, Ring uses the unconventional technique of predicting the weather by looking at the repeating orbital cycles of the moon.

He said: "For most districts, the first 10 days of April should be pleasant and sunny, also the last week of April."

"May will be wet in the north, but fine and sunny in the west and east for the first 10 to 14 days. In the south, the fine weather in May is more likely to occur in the second week, after days of overcast skies," said Ring, of predictweather.com.

"June is dry for the first fortnight over the whole country, and brings the first of the season's temperatures exceeding 20°C. On the whole, consistently warmer days should not be expected until later in the season."

Ring did warn that July will be a wet month except for "fine and settled conditions" from 12 to 17 July in the north, west and east.

He added: "August is again a wet month for all, with only the south lucky enough to receive an extended sunny period between 25 and 30."

After what will be a marginally better summer than 2008, Ring claimed that "September will be the warmest and most summery month for all, with the best of summer weather being between 6 and 17 for the whole country."