LAST UPDATE | 23 Jan

THERE WILL BE no postal deliveries or collections tomorrow, An Post has confirmed. 

Post offices will remain closed for the duration of the red warnings but will seek to reopen once it is safe to do so and conditions allow. 

An Post is planning to run letter and parcel deliveries nationwide on Saturday instead and post offices will open as normal from 9am to 1pm.

“We will closely monitor local weather and Post Offices will seek to reopen if local conditions allow and it is safe for Postmasters and staff to do so,” a statement from the postal service said. 

“All social welfare benefit payments usually payable at the post office on Friday will be available on Saturday and next week.”

Public transport will also not be operating when the Status Red warnings are in place.

Transport services, including bus, tram and train services, in the hours before and after the red warning takes effect are also likely to be severely impacted, the National Transport Authority said this morning.

All schools, including creches, primary, secondary, and third level, will also be closed for the duration of the red level warning in the given area.

Employers are urged to facilitate employees working from home.

‘Very rare event’ 

The country could see record-breaking winds over the coming days.

Not only is there a Status Red wind warning in the Republic, but the UK’s Met Office has this morning issued the same for Northern Ireland.

Alan O’Reilly of Carlow Weather says a Status Red across the whole island is “a very rare event”.

He told The Journal that winds could exceed 150km/h.

Bellmullet and Mizen Head are among the areas most likely to break records in addition to Athenry, Gurteen, Westmeath, Leitrim and Longford.

“It will be stronger in terms of gusts … higher than Storm Darragh.”

Storm Darragh saw snow, low temprature and ice warnings issued for most counties, leaving thousands of people without water and power for days.

“It was unusual in that the wind direction was coming from the north, whereas this will be southern and westerly wind,” O’Reilly explained.

He warned that, while the Status Red warnings will have expired by tomorrow afternoon, the public should prepare for wind and rain to return on Sunday and into Monday.

Emergency planning 

The National Emergency Coordination Group are meeting this morning to plan the national response.

Keith Leonard, the group’s chair, told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland that the ESB and Irish Water have prepared their crisis management teams for the weekend.

“All critical infrastructure and essential services are operating now in emergency mode for the next 24, 48 hours,” he said.

Leonard described Éowyn as an “extreme storm” and advised people to shelter at home for the duration of the warnings.

He also said it’s very important for people to make sure they have fully charged their mobile phones.