Extreme Weather - Ireland [Nationwide]

Earth Watch Report  -  Extreme Weather

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February 12 2014 12:44 PM

Extreme Weather

Ireland

[Nationwide]

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Extreme Weather in Ireland on Wednesday, 12 February, 2014 at 12:44 (12:44 PM) UTC.

Description

Reports this afternoon of a small tornado in Co. Roscommon, as stormy weather conditions continue to affect the country. More than 10,000 homes across the West and South are without power this lunchtime, most of them are in Cork and Kerry where a red weather warning is in force. Met Eireann has issued three weather warnings covering all Irish counties. They are warning of a flooding risk in coastal areas from high seas and heavy rainfall. The red alert for Cork and Kerry remains in place this afternoon. Winds in the region are expected to gust as high as 130 to 160 km/h. There will be high Seas too. Earlier, Met Eireann forecaster Pat Clarke told Newstalk Breakfast rainfall could cause further flooding but it is high winds that will cause greatest concern today - before a new storm system hits at the weekend. Met Eireann says the issuing of a red severe weather warning is a relatively rare event and implies those affected should take action by protecting themselves and their properties. No flights have been able to take off from Cork Airport since 7.30 this morning and Irish Rail is reporting delays to its services on the Cork to Mallow line. There is also a wind warning in place for Wexford, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Limerick and Waterford. Stormy weather will affect Waterford and Wexford during the day today. With winds, at their strongest, gusting 120 to 130 km/h. Meanwhile stormy weather will affect Clare, Limerick, Galway and Mayo during Wednesday with high winds and seas. The orange weather warning is in place until 5pm this evening. All remaining counties are affected by yellow weather warning. Winds in Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Wicklow, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo and Tipperary will sweep up from the south and gust to 100 to 110 km/h. The yellow weather warning is in place until 11pm tonight. Meanwhile, it's claimed today that Ireland has been hit by a 1-in-50 year weather event - every year for the past six. Bord na Móna Chief Executive Gabriel D'Arcy says the trend in their records shows the impact of climate change on Ireland each year. He says we should be concentrating more on renewable energy to cope with the changing conditions.

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‘Mini-tornado’ reported in Roscommon as thousands without power

Met Éireann says it has received reports of a small tornado in Co Roscommon as stormy weather conditions continue to affect the country, leaving thousands without power.
Up to 10,000 homes are without power this lunchtime, most of them in Cork and Kerry where a red weather warning is in force, with winds of 160 kilometres per hour forecast.
Met Éireann is also warning of a flooding risk in coastal areas due to high seas and heavy rainfall.
Forecaster Joanna Donnelly says they have even been made aware of reports of a small tornado in Athleague, Co Roscommon.
"We've had reports in alright of the mini-tornado but we haven't been able to observe it ourselves," she said.
"But (it's) not untypical of this sort of very heavy squally showers."
Weather conditions were making it dangerous for drivers around the south and west, with reports of multiple trees having falling, including outside the Fota Island resort in Cork and on the N71 dual carriageway at the viaduct.


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Irish Central

Hurricane strength winds leave storm-battered Ireland on red alert (PHOTOS)

Sheila Langan @SheiLangan February 13,2014 04:00 AM

Storm Darwin hit Ireland on Wednesday with 100 mph winds and the worst power outage since 1998. Photo by: Photocall Ireland

Storm Darwin and its hurricane-force 100 mph winds swept through Ireland on Wednesday, leaving close to 215,000 homes without power, felling thousands of trees, and ripping the roofs off buildings.
Met Éireann, Ireland’s national weather service, issued red alerts for counties Cork and Kerry, which were among the first to be hit as Darwin reached Ireland’s shores, and for much of Leinster. Orange alerts were issued for counties Clare, Galway, Limerick, Mayo and Waterford.

Traffic stalled across the country due to a number of overturned vehicles. Shannon and Cork airports were closed for much of the day, and many commuters were left stranded as rail service between Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Kerry was suspended.

In what the Electricity Supply Board described as Ireland’s worst power outage since 1998, 215,000 homes were left without power – 170,000 in the southern counties.







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