Public urged to stay at home as Ireland braces for arrival of Storm Eowyn
Public urged to stay at home as Ireland braces for arrival of Storm Eowyn
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Residents across Ireland have been urged to stay at home as the entire island braces for the arrival of Storm Eowyn. The top-level red warning for wind is in place in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from early on Friday morning. Schools and colleges across Ireland are set to close and public transport come to a halt amid powerful gusts with warnings of danger to life, fallen electric lines, damaged infrastructure and widespread power outages.
Dublin Airport announced more than 110 scheduled departures and 110 arrivals have been cancelled by airlines for Friday. Met Eireann reported the mean wind speed record of 81mph set in 1945 at Foynes Co. Limerick has been broken during the storm. The weather service said gusts of up to 108mph Mace Head off Ireland’s west coast by 4am on Friday.
The storm has caused extensive and widespread damage to the electricity network, with power outages nationwide affecting 560,000 homes, farms and businesses. ESB says it expects significant further outages as Storm Eowyn moves across the country. Police in Northern Ireland have declared a major incident and said they expect the strongest winds in the region since the Boxing Day storm in 1998 which caused widespread disruption.
Speaking to media in Belfast on Thursday afternoon First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly urged people to stay at home where they can and check in on vulnerable people. Ms O’Neill described an “evolving situation” which they are “very closely monitoring”.
