Storm Éowyn: Met Éireann warns of 'danger to life' as red alert issued for four counties
By Cillian Sherlock, PA
Met Éireann has issued a red "danger to life" warning for four counties as Storm Éowyn is predicted to bring "powerful and destructive winds" on Friday.
Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick will be under the highest level of weather alert from 3am until 10am on Friday.
Met Éireann said there will be a danger to life and extremely dangerous travelling conditions in those counties on Friday morning.
The rest of the Republic will be under an orange-level wind warning from 2am until 5pm on Friday.
The weather agency said: “Gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive winds with gusts of up to 130km/h widely, with even higher gusts for a time.”
The expected impacts include fallen trees, damage to power lines and power outages, structural damage, very difficult travelling conditions, disruption and cancellations to transport, and wave overtopping.
There are also warnings in place for all coasts off the island of Ireland and the Irish sea.
A status-yellow gale warning applies between 9pm Thursday and 2am on Friday, immediately followed by a status-orange storm warning until 5pm.
The latter warning comes with the expectation that south-west winds veering westerly will reach Storm Force 10 on all coastal waters and the Irish sea.
Met Éireann said: “Storm Éowyn will bring powerful and disruptive winds over Ireland on Thursday night and during Friday along with some transient snowfall in the north west.
It will start to become “very stormy” on Thursday night, before the centre of Storm Éowyn tracks just off the north-west coast on Friday morning.
Met Éireann said this will be followed by a “swathe of extremely strong and damaging winds extending across the country bringing disruption”.
The UK Met Office has also issued a yellow-level wind warning for the North due to Storm Éowyn.
It said: “Storm Éowyn is expected to pass close to or across the north west of the UK on Friday before clearing to the north east on Saturday.
“Whilst there is some uncertainty in the track of Éowyn, a spell of very strong winds is likely, initially south-easterly before turning westerly, with peak gusts of 60-70 mph inland and 80-90 mph along some coasts and hills – perhaps even higher in a few locations.”
The warning for northern counties is in place for all of Friday, and comes with the advisory that power cuts are likely to occur.
It is also likely to affect road, rail, air and ferry services.
The Met Office said there is a chance that there could be some damage to buildings or that power lines may come down.
It added: “Injuries and danger to life could occur from flying debris, as well as large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.”
Earlier this month, tens of thousands of people were left without access to electricity and power amid a cold snap.
Plummeting temperatures and icy travel conditions resulted in transport disruption, the closure of some schools, and curtailment of certain healthcare services.