Updates…
Wednesday, 4:45pm – The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) met today (Wednesday) as red level weather warnings have been issued for some counties and Storm Éowyn is forecast to bring very dangerous and destructive winds on Thursday night and Friday.
Schools, early learning and childcares settings and further and higher education institutions in red level warning areas will close for the duration of the red warning.
Employers in red warning areas should facilitate working from home for all employees who can do so. Only emergency service workers should be leaving home for work, where directed by their employer.
Widespread disruption to public and other services is to be anticipated.
Met Éireann has issued Status Red Wind Warning for Clare which will be followed by the previously issued Status Orange alert.
The higher level warning will come into effect at 3.00am on Friday and will remain in place until 10.00am while the mid-level alert will commence at 10.00am.
Forecasters say that ‘Red Storm Éowyn’ will bring gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h.
Data from weather website windy.com shows that winds could reach 80 knots (148km/h) or higher in West Clare on Friday morning
Cork, Kerry and Limerick have also been place under the Red warning.
The possible impacts of the storm include:
Danger to life
Extremely dangerous travelling conditions
Cancellation of events
Wave overtopping
Coastal flooding in low lying and exposed areas
Unsafe working conditions
Fallen trees
Significant and widespread power outages
Structural damage
Disruption and cancellations to transport
Once the Red Warning has elapsed, a Status Orange Wind Warning will remain in place until late Friday afternoon.
Met Éireann has warned of gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive gusts of up to 130km/h widely, with even higher gusts for a time.
These winds could result in:
Fallen trees
Damage to power lines and power outages
Structural damage
Very difficult travelling conditions
Disruption and cancellations to transport
Wave overtopping
The Status Orange warning will come into effect at 2.00am before the Red warning has elapsed. It will remain in place until 5.00pm on Friday.
Hurricane Hunters
A United States “hurricane hunter” aircraft and a team of storm chasers have set up camp in Ireland as they undertake weather reconnaissance missions over the North Atlantic.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Lockheed WP-3D Orion, known as “Kermit”, arrived in Ireland from Florida via Canada last Saturday and will based at Shannon Airport for the next week.
NOAA previously sent the aircraft to Shanon in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
It’s expected that the aircraft, which uses the callsign NOAA-42, will undertake missions in the coming days.
Marine
Meanwhile, Status Yellow Gale Warning has also been issued for all coasts of Ireland and on the Irish Sea.
Southeast winds will reach gale force 8 or strong gale force 9 on all Irish coastal waters and on the Irish Sea.
This warning will come into effect at 9.00pm on Thursday and remain valid until 2.00am on Friday.
This alert will be replaced by a Status Orange Storm Warning for all coasts of Ireland and on the Irish Sea.
Met Éireann is warning of southwest winds, veering westerly will reach Storm Force 10 on all Irish coastal waters and on the Irish Sea.