Follow latest updates as Tropical Storm Ophelia batters Ireland, with homes and businesses without power and schools closed
Anglesey county council, in north Wales, has instructed all schools to close after lunch because of the threat posed by Ophelia.
We're advising all schools to close after lunch due to @metoffice amber (wind) warning. Schools will inform parents of local arrangements.
— Isle of Anglesey CC (@angleseycouncil) October 16, 2017
This video, from Sky News’s Dublin correspondent, vividly illustrates the storm’s force:
WATCH: Flooding will now be a problem as eye of storm passes over south west of Ireland. #Ophelia pic.twitter.com/h5g2Ar2mle
— Darren McCaffrey (@DMcCaffreySKY) October 16, 2017
A series of flood alerts and flood watches are in force for south-west and north-west England.
Flood Alerts on N Devon & N Cornwall coasts due to very energetic waves & strong winds. More info on @EnvAgency : https://t.co/RSc51Fqxgs pic.twitter.com/SkOQQ3igfD
— Nick Ely (@Nick_Ely) October 16, 2017
Flood warnings issued for Chesil, Lyme Regis and West Bay. Strong winds forecast. Take care on the coast: https://t.co/QdPKdEYx15 pic.twitter.com/q3mLyWk7Iy
— Environment AgencySW (@EnvAgencySW) October 16, 2017
Red sky in the morning, shepherds warning…
A red sun being seen in parts of the UK has been caused by particulates thrown up by Ophelia, according experts.
There's so many particulates in the air because of #HurricaneOphelia that the sun in Exeter has turned red at 10am pic.twitter.com/e6fp2ZT6LN
— Simon Clark (@simonoxfphys) October 16, 2017
Anyone notice the red sun and strange light quality this morning? This has been caused by Saharan dust being drawn northwards by #Ophelia pic.twitter.com/KqN0D5EXfh
— Keele University (@KeeleUniversity) October 16, 2017
Belfast international airport has confirmed that it has cancelled 24 flights, most of them to or from the UK.
A spokesman said the airport is on standby to take diverted flights destined for Dublin including a number of transatlantic flights.
11.58 am
— Belfast Airport (@BelfastAirport) October 16, 2017
Find live flight information via this link- https://t.co/hneV94ny9a pic.twitter.com/U8PS6pz9FF
Up to 100,000 homes and businesses in Ireland are now without power, according to Derek Hynes, operations manager of the electricity supplier ESB. He warned a news briefing that more homes will be without power by the end of the day.
He said:
We have, and we will have had, trees falling on our network over the course of this morning. We do have, and we have more, live electrical wires on the ground. Please stay safe by staying clear of all fallen electricity wires. We are approaching 100,000 homes and businesses without electricity. They are predominantly in an area from Cork city west and north up as far as Tralee.
That currently comprises a total of about 400 individual outages. Each one of these individual outages is a potential threat to members of the public in terms of fallen wires on the ground.
Storm watchers reckon Ophelia is making landfall in County Kerry.
Looks like #OPEHLIA's surface center is making landfall in Kerry County, near Valentia Island, #Ireland. #Hurricane gusts pounding coast. pic.twitter.com/eal6XMPoM9
— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) October 16, 2017
Looks like the core (not really "eye" anymore) of #Ophelia is about to make landfall on the south coast of Ireland pic.twitter.com/vVSzdHavGV
— Stephen Hicks (@seismo_steve) October 16, 2017
Broadcaster RTE also reports the storm making landfall
#Ophelia has made landfall - sustained winds in Roches Point of 93 km/h; gust of 131 km/h. Sherkin Island weather station down pic.twitter.com/SdRN6uhhvn
— RTE Weather (@WeatherRTE) October 16, 2017
Met Éireann has issued a new warning for “violent and destructive gusts” of up 93mph (150 kmph) across Ireland and even strong gusts in coastal and hilly areas.
It repeated a warning to life and property, with the strongest winds in the provinces of Munster and south Leinster.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) October 16, 2017
The National Hurricane Centre is no longer forecasting for #Ophelia
Please refer to Met Eireann for all official forecasts. pic.twitter.com/9lCbXNJdJc
Ireland’s prime minister, Leo Varadkar, has appealed to the Irish public to stay indoors as Storm Ophelia batters Ireland.
Referring to the biggest storm recorded in Irish history, Debbie in the 1960s, he said: “The last time we had a storm this severe 11 lives were lost so safety is our number one priority.”
Speaking in Dublin before a cabinet meeting to co-ordinate Ireland’s response to the storm, Varadkar reminded the public that the red weather warning applied to all cities and all counties across Ireland.
And he warned that the danger to public safety was not over even after the storm had passed the island as there would be fallen trees and felled power lines, many of which could still be live, all across the country in the aftermath of Ophelia.
A media briefing by the Northern Ireland Office at Stormont today has been cancelled.
Former US president Bill Clinton was scheduled to speak in the city today and deliver an address urging Northern Ireland’s political parties to find a solution that would restore devolved government in the region.
During his trip Clinton was to hold talks with the parties represented at the Stormont assembly. Clinton was due to be in Ireland to receive an award from Dublin City University later on Monday evening.
BREAKING - @PA understands Storm Ophelia has forced @BillClinton to postpone Stormont crisis intervention.Talks w/ DUP/SF may now happen 2m.
— David Young (@DavidYoungPA) October 16, 2017
Kevin Moran, minister for flood relief, warned that the storm will bring flooding and widespread structural damage.
Speaking at that press conference in Dublin he said: “This storm is over 120km in width so it is going to do an awful lot of structural damage to the whole country. There is going to be flooding in some parts of the country, but we don’t know the level. This is unprecedented.
“What we are seeing happening in Cork at the present time and the amount of electricity that’s out, if that is to ripple right through then we’re faced with an awful problem tomorrow and right into the weekend.”
Asked whether the Irish government had done enough to prepare the country, Moran said: “That’s an unfair question. We have spoken to every local authority in the country.”
Varadkar said homeless people will be allowed to stay in hostels throughout the day to protect them from the storm.
