Storm Éowyn will be a “dangerous, destructive” weather event and among the most severe storms Ireland has ever experienced, the chair of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) has warned.
“It will be a rare event, at the extreme end of the storms Ireland faces,” Keith Leonard said following Wednesday’s meeting of the NECG. There will be “widespread destruction, damage to structures” and “exceptional wind speeds across the country. I think this will be very severe.”
Met Éireann has issued a nationwide status red weather warning for Friday, coming into effect in the early hours of the morning and extending to the early afternoon in most counties. Status red warnings are only issued during “extremely dangerous” weather events, according to the forecaster.
Schools, early learning and childcare facilities and third-level education institutions are set to close across the country on Friday, while the Road Safety Authority urged people to “avoid any travel” during the “unprecedented and life-threatening Storm Éowyn”. ESB Networks has also advised customers to make provisions for the possible loss of power as a result of the storm.
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An Irish Rail spokesman said he expected there would be “major disruptions” to rail services on Friday and that details of cancellations across all transport services would be confirmed by the National Transport Authority on Thursday morning.
Employers have been told they should facilitate working from home for all employees who can do so, with only emergency service workers leaving home for work if necessary.
[ Storm Éowyn: How serious is a red weather warning, and how should I prepare?Opens in new window ]
Spokesmen for DAA, the Dublin Airport management company, and Cork Airport advised passengers due to travel on Friday to contact their airline for updates.
The UK Met Office has also issued an amber weather warning for all six counties of Northern Ireland.
Met Éireann’s red wind warnings come into effect in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford at 2am on Friday and will last until 10am.
In Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Roscommon, Tipperary, the red wind warning will extend from 6am to midday.
In Donegal, the red wind warning will be valid from 6am until 3pm; in Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo, it is expected to last from 4am to midday; and in Clare and Galway it will be from 3am to midday.
Met Éireann previously issued nationwide red weather warnings during Storm Emma in 2018 and Storm Ophelia in 2017. Mr Leonard said he expected the damage on Friday to be similar to, or even exceed, that experienced in October 2017 when 385,000 homes and businesses lost power.
Met Éireann forecaster Elizabeth Coleman said there were particular concerns about safety given the strong winds were hitting on a Friday morning when people would normally be travelling to work. “Stay indoors, there is no need to go outside,” she said, adding that people should use Thursday to take all measures to protect their properties. “Some of the wind speeds we’re expecting are at the most extreme levels we’ve ever seen.”
Ms Coleman said it had been a “busy season” of storm warnings, noting Storm Darragh in early December and the recent cold snap in early January which brought freezing conditions to many parts of the country.
“We are in a warming climate and we can expect more extreme weather events,” she said.
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