OPHELIA IS THE most powerful storm to hit Ireland in 50 years and it’s making international headlines.

Gaining hurricane status last Wednesday, Ophelia quickly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane – the sixth major hurricane of the Atlantic season – a sight that the US is all too familiar with this year.

Despite being downgraded to a Category 1 tropical storm, the US and other countries across the world have all eyes on Ireland.

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The US National Hurricane Center, located at Florida International University, maintains a continuous watch on tropical cyclones and areas of disturbed weather within the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific areas.

The Center has provided extensive coverage and updates to the numerous American hurricanes this year, but for the first time in years, it has had to issue warnings to Europe.

First announcing the hurricane status last Wednesday, the Center has issued regular bulletin updates on the progression of the storm.

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While the storm is causing widespread travel disruption, continuous warnings from government and local councils and closures to educational institutions, the New York Daily News chose to focus a tweet about the storm on the fact that it could make landfall near the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg, Co Clare.

“#Ophelia approaches Ireland with hurricane-force winds, could make landfall near Trump property,” the tweet read.

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Meanwhile, other US news outlets are even providing tv news coverage of the storm.

CNN, like many other news outlets, has focused on the fact that, for once, the storm isn’t making its way towards the Americas.

“We’ve got ourselves what was once a hurricane, just a recent few hours ago was a hurricane, in fact, it was a major hurricane, Category 3,” a CNN reporter said.

“It’s the sixth major hurricane of the season and in the last 50 days we’ve had six major hurricanes and, of course, we’ve covered all of them here, but this particular one is going in the opposite direction. It is unusual.”

CNN even went as far as to send a correspondent to Kilkee in Clare for a live report.

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Meanwhile, NBC News has provided a detailed report of the impact that Ophelia will have on Ireland.

“Schools and hospitals were closed in Ireland on Monday and people were warned to stay indoors,” the report led with.

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Read: Here are the shops and businesses remaining closed due to storm

More: LIVE: ‘A matter of life and death’ – Updates as Storm Ophelia makes landfall on Kerry coast