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LAST UPDATE | 24 Jan
THE COUNTRY IS still coming to grips with the aftermath of Storm Éowyn.
Most of the weather warnings were lifted earlier today.
However, Donegal remains under a Status Yellow wind warning until 11pm and is also currently under a Yellow snow-ice warning that will remain in place until 9am on Saturday.
Counties in Northern Ireland are also under wind warnings. Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry are under a Yellow wind warning until midnight.
Counties in the North will also be under a Yellow snow/ice warning until 10am tomorrow.
A full breakdown of the warnings can be read on Met Éireann’s website.
And weather warnings for Northern Ireland can be found on the UK Met Office website.
ESB is reporting that over 540,000 homes and businesses are without power across the country, while many roads are blocked due to fallen trees and debris.
The issue has impacted water treatment plants, as 138,000 people are now without water, according to Uisce Éireann. Some households and businesses may be without water for a number of days.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the situation:
You can follow along for the latest here.
With updates by David MacRedmond, Muiris Ó Cearbhaill, Órla Ryan, Diarmuid Pepper, Jane Moore and Lauren Boland
‘In the firing line’
Met Éireann head forecaster Eoin Sherlock has said that some counties, such as those in the Midlands, will not have seen these kinds of wind speeds before.
The storm is like a “spinning top,” he said. Having initially formed off the coast of the US, it moved across the Atlantic at speed by a jet stream.
“It’s got incredible intensity and we’re in the firing line,” Sherlock said.
Sherlock explained that there is also a risk of “some tornado-like activity”, adding that it was something the weather service and other authorities would be “keeping an eye on”.
Strongest gust record broken
Overnight, the highest gust record which stood since 1945 was broken.
That 1945 record was set in Foynes, Co Limerick when a gust of 182 km/h was set.
At 5am, that was broken at Mace Head in Co Galway, when a gust of 184km/h was recorded, provisionally the strongest gust speed ever recorded in Ireland.
The highest gust record of 182 km/h set in 1945 at Foynes Co. Limerick has provisionally been broken during #StormÉowyn pic.twitter.com/9loiOz96l4
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 24, 2025
The Status Red wind warning is currently in place across the island of Ireland, apart from Co Donegal and Northern Ireland.
In these seven counties, the Status Red warning comes into place at 7am.
Storm Éowyn has already broken records and Met Éireann’s Gerry Murphy has described it as an “extreme storm”.
He tells RTÉ’s morning Ireland that it’s very windy everywhere right now and that this storm has to be taken very seriously.
Around 560,000 homes without power
Destructive winds from Storm Éowyn have so far caused widespread and extensive damage to the electricity network across the country with around 560,000 homes, farms and businesses without power.
ESB Networks said it will continue to closely monitor the storm impact on power supplies and all available resources stand ready to mobilise once safe to do so.
Dublin Airport
Most flights scheduled to depart from Dublin Airport have been cancelled between now and 9.30am.
Only four flights – to Birmingham, Faro, Tenerife and Gran Canaria – are scheduled to take off as planned.
Two others – to Dubai and Tenerife – have been delayed.
Ireland West Airport
Most flights are cancelled in Dublin Airport between now and 9.30am, and all flights have been cancelled at Ireland West Airport until 2pm.
Passengers due to travel on flights scheduled between 8am and 2pm are advised not to travel to the airport as all morning flights up to 2pm have been cancelled by the airlines.
The terminal building will not be accessible to members of the public during this time period.
⚠️ Passenger Update ⚠️
— Ireland West Airport (@Irelandwest) January 23, 2025
Ireland West Airport will be non-operational between the hours of 04:00 am and 13:00 pm on Friday, 24th January, due to the status red storm warning in place across the country as Storm Éowyn is forecasted to have gusts in excess of 130km/h.
Passengers… pic.twitter.com/yONsqOjmly
Homes without power
Over 560,000 homes, farms and businesses without power and ESB warns that “significantly more power outages can be expected throughout the day as the storm tracks northwards”.
ESB said that even at current numbers, the damage to the electricity network and impact on customers has been unprecedented.
ESB Networks will closely monitor the storm impact on power supplies and all available resources stand ready to mobilise once safe to do so.
A spokesperson added that from “experience of previous significant weather events and due to the severity of Storm Éowyn, we expect that power restoration will take a significant number of days”.
Estimated restoration times will only be provided once ESB teams have assessed network faults and these will then be available to view throughout Saturday on www.PowerCheck.ie.
An Important Public Safety Message: If you come across fallen wires or damaged electricity network, never, ever touch or approach these as they are LIVE and extremely dangerous. Please report any damage to electricity infrastructure by calling 1800 372 999.
Dublin Airport
Most flights leaving Dublin Airport are cancelled, with only six flights between now and 9.45 am due to take off or delayed.
After 9.45 am, it becomes a more mixed picture, with more flights currently scheduled to depart as normal but many others cancelled or delayed throughout the day.
Most arrivals into Dublin Airport meanwhile are cancelled until around 2pm this afternoon.
Fallen trees
It’s a situation that will likely be replicated across the country, as a fallen tree blocks one side of the Killininny Road in Dublin.
Status Red wind warning
The entire island of Ireland is now under a Status Red wind warning.
As of 7am, Co Donegal and the six counties of Northern Ireland came under the wind warning and this Status Red warning across Donegal and the North will remain in place until 2pm.
Wind alerts
All of the island is now under a Status Red alert, but these came into place at different times and will also remain in place until different times.
Here is a map of when the alerts will remain in place across the country.
Shannon Airport
In Shannon Airport, four departure flights are cancelled while three have been delayed – two of which have been delayed by around five hours.
Meanwhile, four flights due to arrive today at Shannon Airport have been cancelled while three have been delayed.
Two of these delayed arrivals were due to arrive last night but are now scheduled to land at Shannon airport later today.
Cancelled flights
Storm Éowyn has caused many flights across the island to be cancelled, and you can read more about the cancellations here from our reporter Lauren Boland.
This is how #StormÉowyn is unfolding over the past several hours.
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 24, 2025
Watch the satellite image from over the North Atlantic as the storm moved towards Ireland.@eumetsat pic.twitter.com/ZRPP36LsYO
Collision in Donegal
Gardaí are currently attending a “serious road traffic collision” on the N14 just north of Lifford in Co Donegal.
Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that he was not in a position to give further details at the moment.
“This does exemplify the warnings that we’ve been putting out there that this is a very, very dangerous and life-threatening storm,” Geraghty said.
“This incident actually happened through an Orange wind warning in the Donegal area, which has now gone to a Red wind warning.
Our appeal to people is the entire country is now covered by a Red wind warning, that people should shelter in place.
“Even when the Red wind warnings dissipate, we still remain under an Orange wind warning until very, very late this afternoon, and there may be other hazards even during that orange wind warning period.”
APART FROM THE CURRENT RED WARNINGS:
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 24, 2025
The following Orange warnings have been updated, and there is now a regional variability from 12 o'clock forward.
Please check out the graphic below for more information.https://t.co/lvQFgW9biq#StormÉowyn pic.twitter.com/NIAJhu73IK
While Status Red wind warnings remain in place for the entire country, Met Éireann has updated a number of its Status Orange and Status Yellow wind warnings in the last few minutes.
An Orange wind warning for the entire country will remain in place until 12pm.
For Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Connacht, Longford, Louth, Meath and Westmeath, the Orange warning will now come into effect from 12pm and remain in place until 4pm.
A Status Yellow wind warning for counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Wicklow and Munster will be in place from 12pm to 4pm.
A Yellow wind warning for Donegal will be in effect from 4pm to 11pm.
Power outages in Northern Ireland
More than 93,000 homes and businesses are currently without power in Northern Ireland, NIE Networks has said.
The provider said Storm Éowyn was causing “widespread damage” to the electricity network.
It warned that restoration efforts will take significant time as crews cannot begin work until it is safe to do so.
A statement said: “We anticipate we will begin assessing the damage to the network after 2pm once the red weather warning has been lifted.”
Dublin Fire Brigade has shared a live interactive map where people can keep track of incidents in Dublin throughout Storm Éowyn.
You can find it here.
#StormÉowyn Our interactive map of Dublin incidents is now live.
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) January 24, 2025
Click the link below to view. https://t.co/L4680rpqK6
999/112 is the only way of contacting us in an emergency. #StormEowyn pic.twitter.com/oON9uylRuC
Galway has been hit hard by the storm this morning, with a gust of 184km/h being recorded at Mace Head this morning – provisionally the strongest gust speed ever recorded in Ireland.
Galway Atlantaquaria in Salthill has shared a video of flooding at its aquarium, which it said began at around 2.30am.
Hi Everyone, quick update from Matt, who has been onsite all night to monitor our animals. high time was just after 12, & flooding started by 2.30am. Matt is safe but this is some of the worst we’ve seen. Please stay indoors & stay safe @villagesalthill @GalwayCityCo #StormÉowyn pic.twitter.com/6hDINomiv2
— Galway Atlantaquaria (@GalwayAquarium) January 24, 2025
People in Northern Ireland have received a second emergency phone alert warning them of the danger to life as a result of Storm Éowyn.
Millions of people in the north and in Britain received an alert from the UK Met Office yesterday afternoon.
Dublin Airport
Graeme McQueen, Media Relations Manager with the DAA, has told Newstalk Breakfast that around 500 people have passed through security at Dublin Airport this morning compared to around 10,000 people in normal circumstances.
“As it stands we are not going to see anything taking off before 8.55am which is the first scheduled flight currently due to depart,” he said.
“The first arrival is due just after 9.30am, but given the conditions at the moment it would be very hard to see planes taking off or landing in the winds that we are seeing.”
McQueen advised passengers to keep in touch with airlines this morning for the latest updates on their flights.
“My understanding is that the airlines are meeting as we speak to decide on their schedules so (passengers) should hear something soon if they haven’t already.
All the flights just before 9am have been cancelled and are now out of the system, so they won’t fly today. What is hoped for now is that the flights beyond 9am will be able to take off.
“I would imagine that a lot of those will take off with a delay so the order that they go out in will very much depend on conditions, how quickly they can load the planes and we obviously have restrictions on handling at the moment because of the winds.”
McQueen said it is very much “a wait and see if you’re flying”.
“Keep in touch with your airline. You will want to give yourself plenty of time to go to the airport when that happens.
“We have had very small numbers through the airport this morning. Around 500 people have gone through security in the two terminals. That is normally around 10,000 people (at this same) but we expect that to pick up as the morning goes on.”
One reader in Dublin has shared a photo of the ice skating rink in Blanchardstown, where part of the roof has been blown off during the storm.
Around 715,000 people without power
The ESB has confirmed that around 715,000 homes, farms and businesses are without power as of 8am.
In a statement, they said there has been “unprecedented, widespread and extensive damage to electricity infrastructure so far”.
“ESB Networks continue to closely monitor the storm impact on power supplies and all available resources stand ready to mobilise once safe to do so,” the statement read.
“From our experience of previous significant weather events and due to the severity of Storm Éowyn, we expect that power restoration will take a significant number of days.”
Keith Leonard, Chair of the National Emergency Coordination Group, has said it has been a night of “record-breaking wind speeds across the country”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said that the figure of 715,000 homes without power is likely to increase.
“Given the scale of power supply disruption, it’s going to take some time to restore all those customers,” Leonard said.
“The National Emergency Coordination Group will be trying to consider how to support best Eirgrid and ESB networks, that’ll be really a key objective for us today.”
He said it will be a “huge operation” which will be supported by local authorities, as well as the Defence Forces.
He also urged people to be cautious when going out after the storm has passed.
“You have to expect to meet a tree down around every corner that you’re going around today and into the next few days. It’s going to take a long time to clear all the roads and clear all the trees, particularly along the western seaboard that has been really very badly affected.
With those numbers of power lines down now, live power lines down across roads, it’s very, very hazardous and dangerous conditions for people walking, people driving. We can’t emphasise too strongly how careful people need to be in the next couple of days.
150,000 people without treated water
Irish Water has said that around 150,000 people are without treated water this morning as a result of Storm Éowyn.
Margaret Attridge, Head of Water Operations with Irish Water, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme that water treatment plants that serve a population of about 150,000 people have lost power.
“Most of our treatment plants would have storage, so that storage will keep people in supply of water for a good bit of the day,” she said.
“But what we are asking people to allow time for our crews to get out and assess the damage and to link in with the ESB to get some power supply returned to those sites as quickly as possible. We are asking people to conserve water.”
People can find real-time information on any outages on Irish Water’s website, or by contacting their customer care number on 1800 278278.
My colleague Diarmuid Pepper has put together an article with photos and video footage from around the country showing the impact that Storm Éowyn is having.
You can find it here.
If you have any photos or videos that you would like to share with us, you can send them to pictures@thejournal.ie.
Public transport
In case you needed reminding, there are no public transport services operating for the duration of the Status Red wind warnings.
#DBSvcUpdate Dublin Bus services are not currently operating during the Status Red Warning which is due to last until 11am. Services will be severely impacted in the hours after the Status Red Warning is in effect. More information at; https://t.co/ILv78evjtS@TFIupdates https://t.co/PQIKmfsXmG
— dublinbusnews (@dublinbusnews) January 24, 2025
Bus Éireann would like to advise customers that there are significant service cancellations due to the national Red Weather warnings as a result of #StormEowyn.
— Bus Éireann (@Buseireann) January 24, 2025
Please see https://t.co/npKpFdSzvQ for more information. pic.twitter.com/jTj3q4uQD0
⚠️Please be advised that there are no Red or Green Line services running this morning, Fri Jan 24th due to Storm Éowyn. Please see https://t.co/oquVlpp7Be for up to date service information. #StormÉowyn
— Luas (@Luas) January 24, 2025
🚨During Status Red weather warnings on Friday 24th January for #StormÉowyn, there will be NO Intercity, DART or Commuter train services on the Iarnród Éireann network, with significant disruption likely afterwards also.
— Iarnród Éireann (@IrishRail) January 24, 2025
Updates here and at https://t.co/QUMv5YSsQf@TFIupdates
Eir has said Storm Éowyn has caused major disruptions across the country, with 11,000 broadband faults, 10,000 fixed voice faults, and approximately 500 mobile network site outages reported.
“Over 715 ,000 homes and businesses remain without power, according to ESB. The full extent of the storm’s impact will become clearer in the coming hours and days as power is restored and roadways are cleared,” it said in a statement.
“To keep customers connected eir is operating, 625 Fixed Network sites and 150 Mobile sites on backup power.
“Eir has been in storm mode since the Red warning was confirmed, and once that Red weather warning is lifted, power generators will be deployed to affected sites, and repairs will commence as soon as it is safe.”
The current Wind Warnings in place have a various applicable times. Please be advised that while most of the Red Level Warnings finish by 12pm (Apart from Donegal), there are following Orange and Yellow Warnings in place.https://t.co/lvQFgW9biq#StormÉowyn pic.twitter.com/0L5vyxZUEl
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 24, 2025
The Status Red wind warnings remain in place for the entire country.
For counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford, the Red warning will remain in place until 10am.
Counties Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Roscommon and Tipperary remain under the Red warning until 11am.
For Clare and Galway, the warning is also in effect until 11am.
Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo remain under the warning until 12pm.
The Red wind warning for Donegal remains valid until 2pm.
A Red wind warning is also in place for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry until 2pm.
Status Orange and Status Yellow wind warnings will come into effect after the Red warnings are lifted.
You can find more information on Met Éireann’s website.
Dublin Fire Brigade crews are currently on Harold’s Cross Road, where scaffolding has collapsed and blocked the road.
#StormEowyn
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) January 24, 2025
Dolphin's Barn firefighters have been called to the Harold's Cross Road after scaffolding collapsed.
The road is completely blocked#StormÉowyn pic.twitter.com/452vHAnpI0
‘Stay safe and stay home’
Newly-elected Taoiseach Micheál Martin has urged people not to go out during “historic” Storm Éowyn.
The Fianna Fáil leader also said that the National Emergency Coordination Group will meet shortly to assess the damage and plan the national response.
The National Emergency Coordination Group is meeting shortly with a national effort involving ESB, Defence Forces, Civil Defence and Irish Water to restore power, water and get help to those who need it, once safe. Please take care. (2/2)
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) January 24, 2025
The R148 Station Road in Leixlip is currently blocked after some very big trees came down this morning.
Please note that our Red and Orange warning are valid in parallel. Red Level Warnings expire for some counties at 10 or 11AM, and but the Orange warning continues for them.
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 24, 2025
From then on, Orange and Yellow warnings apply for various regions, and Donegal experiences Red until 2pm.
Fire crews in Meath attended a call this morning with live cables – and a trampoline on the road.
@MCCFireService Dunshaughlin station attended a call with live cables.
— Meath County Council Fire & Rescue Service (@MCCFireService) January 24, 2025
As well as fallen cables there was a trampoline👀👀
We ask everybody to adhere to the safety information and stay indoors until the Red wind warning passes.. #StormEowyn @meathcoco pic.twitter.com/dnqFWohuvX
Readers are sending us photos showing the impact of Storm Éowyn.
This tree came down very close to someone’s home on Willow Avenue in Clondalkin, Dublin.
In Cork, scaffolding has come down on West View in Cobh and is blocking the road.
The Status Red wind warning for counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford has now lifted. A Status Orange wind warning is now in place for those counties until 12pm.
Red wind warnings remain in place for the rest of the country.
Counties Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Roscommon and Tipperary remain under the Red warning until 11am.
For Clare and Galway, the warning is also in effect until 11am.
Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo remain under the warning until 12pm.
The Red wind warning for Donegal remains valid until 2pm.
Status Orange and Status Yellow wind warnings will come into effect after the Red warnings are lifted.
A Red wind warning is also in place for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry until 2pm.
You can find more information on Met Éireann’s website.
The number of premises without power across Ireland is over 715,000 – a record level.
However, the ESB has warned that this figure will likely rise even higher.
Brian Tapley, Regional Manager at ESB Networks, told Today with Claire Byrne: “Some parts of the northwest have yet to kind of bear the full brunt of of the storm. So, unfortunately, the figure will rise.
It’s unprecedented for us, the number of customers without without power.
Tapley noted that more than 395,000 premises were without power after Storm Darragh in December, so Éowyn has already far surpassed that.
It took ESB teams about a week to restore power to everyone last month, and Tapley said it will take over a week to restore power to all premises this time around.
He said ESB Networks will likely not know the extent of the damage until later today or tomorrow, as they cannot assess it until all Status Red warnings lift.
“It’s widespread, it’s countrywide, and it’s extensive damage to our network,” Tapley said.
Like much public transport around the country, Dublin Bus services are currently not running.
The Status Red wind warning in Dublin is due to lift at 11am, but public transport in the capital likely won’t be up and running until later today.
Speaking on Today with Claire Byrne, Blake Boland from Dublin Bus said services will resume on a “case-by-case basis”.
When the Red warning lifts at 11am, Boland said: “At that stage, we will be sending our inspectors and our chief inspectors out on the road to survey the damage, and it’ll be done on a case-by-case basis.
“So, safety is the main thing here for our passengers, of course, but we need to make sure that our employees and our drivers are safe coming into work, they’re not really going to be leaving their homes until around that 11 mark.
“We are working hard, making assessments on an individual basis to try to get Dublin moving back as quickly as we can, but in a safe manner.”
Boland said services will take longer to resume in certain areas.
“We might have routes going, you know, towards South County Dublin, on higher ground. And these vehicles are very high-sided vehicles, and they might not be safe in those particular routes.”
He said customers should keep an eye on the Dublin Bus website and social media accounts for the latest updates.
🚦 L5055 Cluttahinna Closed due to fallen tree.#RoadAlert
— Waterford City & County Council (@WaterfordCounci) January 24, 2025
📱 Get free alerts for your area:https://t.co/5AsAwOfori
Waterford City and County Council has received reports of fallen trees, branches and debris, causing obstruction to roads at the following locations:
Some photos from Dublin:
Unfortunately, the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome was significantly damaged by Storm Éowyn overnight, thankfully no one was hurt.
— Connacht GAA (@ConnachtGAA) January 24, 2025
Thanks to everyone for the support, it is our full intention to rebuild this magnificent facility as soon as possible.
As we reported earlier, Connacht GAA’s Air Dome in Mayo was destroyed by high speed winds this morning.
The €3.1 million facility officially opened in January 2022, and has hosted GAA games at inter-county, schools, club and colleges level. The site is used extensively by teams around Connacht.
“The campus is destroyed, it will have to be entriely replaced or rebuilt,” Connacht GAA Secretary John Prenty told The Journal.
“It will need a full new campus now”, Prenty added.
An ice skating facility in Blanchardstown in Dublin has been destroyed after strong winds tore the structure apart.
Yet another fallen tree – time time in Blessington, Co Wicklow:
Here are the latest wind observations from Met Éireann:
Wind observations at 11am, excluding the offline stations
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 24, 2025
Max gusts (km/h):
- Finner Donegal 139 (Red)
- Casement Aerodrome 128 (Orange)
Highest mean speeds (Red)
- Finner Donegal 91#StormÉowyn pic.twitter.com/OTq4beU17j
Dublin Airport has shared this video of its first flight takeoff today after severe disruption this morning:
First takeoff from Dublin Airport at 9.27am this morning 🛫 #StormEowyn pic.twitter.com/jtlTDO1mYf
— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) January 24, 2025
The Status Red warning lifting in Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo means that the only counties left under a Red warning are Donegal and the six counties of Northern Ireland.
A Status Orange wind warning is in effect now in Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Connacht, Longford, Louth, Meath, and Westmeath, with a Status Yellow wind warning in Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Wicklow, and Munster.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) has met again this morning to assess the impacts of Storm Éowyn and coordinate the response.
In a statement, the NECG said it’s working to coordinate and mobilise all available resources to try to restore power and services to homes, farms and businesses as soon as possible.
Local Authority Severe Weather Assessment Teams are monitoring conditions locally and emergency response teams will respond where and when necessary and safe to do so.
ESB Networks are monitoring the storm impact on power supplies and “all available resources stand ready to mobilise once safe to do so”.
However, it is expected that power restoration will take a significant number of days, according o the NECG update.
Keith Leonard, Chair of the NECG, said that Storm Éowyn has brought “record-breaking winds and is causing widespread damage and disruption”.
He said the public should continue to shelter in place where Red Level Wind Warnings remain valid and that even when a red warning expires, we may continue to see potentially dangerous and damaging conditions until the storm has fully passed.
“The aftermath of this storm is also going to present its own dangers. We are going to see widespread fallen trees, fallen power lines and other hazardous debris, so I’m urging drivers to take extra care as we move into this evening and the weekend,” Leonard said.
“And please heed the advice from the ESB – never approach fallen power lines and report such cases immediately to ESB Emergency Services,” he added.
“While public safety remains our number one priority, the NECG is also now pivoting to the recovery stage. We are liaising with agencies, local authorities and key stakeholders to assess the extent of the damage – which in some parts will be at unprecedented levels – and ensuring we get the right responses and resources into the right places to get the country back to normal as soon as possible.
“I would like to thank the public for following our advice during this challenging event and I would now ask them to bear with us as we work through the recovery over the next few days.”
The NECG Infrastructure Sub-Group is due to meet this afternoon about coordinating the ongoing efforts to restore power and other services, while the full NECG will meet again tomorrow.
The trees fallen on the R148 Station Road in Leixlip have been moved aside enough to allow traffic to pass through on one side of the road.
Dublin City councillors have received an update from the chief executive of Dublin City Council with details of how the storm has affected Dublin.
Dublin Fire Brigade has attended 35 storm-related calls for assistance, which have involved fallen trees and cables, damaged cars and blocked roads.
The Eastern Regional Communications Centre in Dublin Fire Brigade HQ has received over over 95 storm-related emergency calls, not including ambulances, for other counties in Leinster, as well as Cavan and Monaghan.
Oof. Not ideal.
So it seems I’ll be weathering the rest of the storm in the BBC lift which has broken down with me inside. The good news is, it was on the way back from the vending machine so I have a Wispa.
— Holly Hamilton (@HollyHNews) January 24, 2025
And at least it’s not windy in here. pic.twitter.com/BNiP4tnBTI
Gardaí have been alerted to a road traffic incident in Celbridge, Co. Kildare this morning.
Emergency services received a report of a fallen tree on a car shortly before 6am the R403 (Clane Road) just outside the town.
No serious injuries were reported but the driver of the car was brought to hospital for assessment.
The number of homes, farms and businesses without power has risen to 725,000 as of 12.30pm.
ESB Networks says the “damage nationwide to the electricity network and impact on customers is unprecedented”.
“The worst of Storm Éowyn has now passed for most of the country but with Met Éireann Status Red and Orange wind warnings remaining in place in parts until later this afternoon, further power outages may still arise as the storm continues to track northwards,” ESB Networks has said.
“ESB Networks continue to closely monitor the storm impact on power supplies and all available resources including crews and partner contractors are now deployed where safe to do so, to assess the network and work to safely restore power as quickly as possible in challenging conditions.
“From our experience of previous significant weather events and due to the severity of Storm Éowyn, we expect that power restoration will take a significant number of days and will take more than a week in the worst impacted areas.”
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris was briefed this morning on the latest developments about Storm Éowyn and the considerable damage caused overnight.
He has spoken with the Secretary General of the Department of Defence and the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and has been told that members of the Defence Forces and Civil Defence volunteers are ready to assist in the considerable follow-up operation that will be needed.
“I want to thank the Defence Forces for the assistance they have provided overnight and their continued work as the recovery phase now begins. It is important to continue to heed the advice and stay safe,” Harris said.
I want to thank the Defence Forces for the assistance they have provided overnight and their continued work as the recovery phase now begins. It is important to continue to heed the advice and stay safe. pic.twitter.com/T0kXbkBKuw
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) January 24, 2025
In case you’d been wondering if the storm has had any impact on this evening’s Late Late Show, we’ve been assured that it’s all going ahead as normal and there are no guest drop-outs.
You might remember that during the snow of March 2018, there was a Late Late Show episode very out of the norm – with no studio audience and guests having to cancel, the show had to get creative to fill the slow, which included featuring a giant stack of Brennan’s Bread that was later donated.
For those of you in Cork, Cork County Council has provided us with a detailed update of roads that have been most affected by the storm.
Around 60,000 people across the country have no water supply currently in areas most affected by Storm Éowyn – and supplies for a further 500,000 people are at risk.
The number of people without water is likely to increase over the course of the day as the widespread power outages at treatment plants and pumping stations continue to impact on supplies, according to Uisce Éireann.
Large areas are without water in Tipperary, Longford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Carlow, Kilkenny and Galway.
Uisce Eireann repair crews have commenced restoration works in areas where the Status Red weather warning has been lifted.
Keith Leonard, Chair of the National Emergency Coordination Group, told RTÉ that following a meeting of the group this morning, “the picture that emerges is that there’s been widespread disruption across the road network”.
He added that a “key piece” to today’s events are the large numbers of homes without power.
Leonard also remarked: “That piece up along the western seaboard is badly affected, and into the northwest and even the northeast, there seems to be very significant structural damage, and also a lot of trees down.”
He thanked the public for adhering to the public safety messages, and said this was really important because it “took pressure off our emergency services at a really critical time, and enabled local authorities to monitor and assess the damage”.
Gerry Murphy, a meteorologist with Met Éireann, said the “good news” is that winds in counties no longer under a red alert are decreasing.
However, he remarked that they are “still strong”.
“If you have a structure or a tree or something that was tottering on the brink from the extremely strong winds, the winds are still strong enough to have an effect.
“So people do need to be very careful.
“It’s not just a question of getting back out, because there could be power lines down, trees down, so people should be careful as they make their way back out into normal activities.
“But it is an improving situation, and gradually, as we go through the afternoon and evening, most places will see winds becoming noticeably lighter.”
Close to a million premises across with island are without power.
In the North, around 240,000 customers without power, while that figure is around 725,000 in the Republic.
Longford
There’s been a lot of damage caused to sporting infrastructure across the country, with Longford Town FC the latest victim.
Huge damage at @LongfordTownFC pic.twitter.com/4o9rIbDDTX
— Ciaran Mullooly MEP (@ciaranmullooly) January 24, 2025
Ireland West Airport
Flights have resumed at Ireland West Airport, though some services may be operating with a delay.
A spokesperson said passengers intending to travel this afternoon and evening are advised to contact their airline for the most accurate and up-to-date flight information.
Phone lines are also down at the airport, so if passengers have any queries they should contact operations@irelandwestairport.com
Travel Update ℹ️
— Ireland West Airport (@Irelandwest) January 24, 2025
Flight operations have now resumed at Ireland West Airport. Some services throughout the remainder of the day may be operating with a delay due to the aftermath of the storm. Please note Mayo and the rest of Connacht are under a status orange weather warning… pic.twitter.com/ZM8Vh8RS6t
The Status Red wind warning has come to an end in the past few minutes.
It had remained in place across Donegal and Northern Ireland, but elapsed at 2pm.
The northern half of the country is now under an orange alert, with the southern half under a yellow warning.
A boat has sunk as a result of Storm Éowyn in the Camber at Kennedy Pier in Cobh, Co Cork.
A boat has sunk as a result of #StormÉowyn in the Camber at Kennedy Pier in Cobh, Co Cork. pic.twitter.com/8v4fqCVxpN
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) January 24, 2025
For Irish Rail passengers, the Cork to Cobh/Midleton services have resumed but all other lines are currently closed.
A spokesperson said it will update on when it can safely open other lines, but to expect significant disruption throughout the day as fallen trees are cleared from lines.
Our crews encountering and clearing fallen trees around the network.
— Iarnród Éireann (@IrishRail) January 24, 2025
Cork to Cobh/Midleton services resumed, all other lines currently closed.
We will update when we can safely open other lines, expect significant disruption throughout the day. @TFIupdates #StormÉowyn pic.twitter.com/im8EkEvTfg
Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has said Ireland can expect to experience more extreme weather events like Storm Éowyn if we fail to achieve our climate action targets.
The party’s spokesperson on climate said that “as we once again count the cost of another major storm, the harsh reality is that Ireland is not immune to the catastrophic effects of global warming”.
“All the international evidence shows that climate change is happening in real time, with devastating consequences,” Whitmore said.
She said that the new government’s programme “does not inspire confidence” that strong climate action will be taken.
“The section dealing with climate action is vague and non-committal, with no detail on how targets will be met. Another ominous sign is that the new government will be reliant on the support of a number of climate-sceptic Independent TDs,” Whitmore said.
“However, last night’s storm should serve as a salutary reminder of the consequences of not doing enough. The new Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O’Brien, must ensure there is no backsliding on our climate action ambitions.”
NetBlocks, an organisation that tracks cybersecurity, has observed a “significant decline” in internet activity in Ireland due to the power outages.
The streets of Dublin city centre are beginning to fill up again as the Status Red warning is lifted and some shops start to reopen.
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) January 24, 2025
A Status Yellow warning is now in place for Dublin until 4pm, along with Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Wicklow, and Munster. pic.twitter.com/F9FUb8VZiY
If you’re staying in again tonight – the Late Late Show has just announced its line-up of guests for this evening’s episode.
Andy Farrell will be on to talk about his time as Ireland’s Head Coach, including the back-to-back Six Nations wins, and what’s coming next as he takes over the British and Irish Lions.
Three of Ireland’s rising rugby stars – Aoife Wafer, Erin King and Craig Casey – along with legendary former player and captain Rory Best will also be on the show.
Author Paul Howard and Grand Slam winner Gordon D’Arcy will round out the rugby-focused episode, which is celebrating 150 years of the IRFU ahead of the Six Nations return.
The Irish Women in Harmony, a collective of Irish female artists including Ruth Anne Cuningham, Erica Cody, Tolou, Aimée and Soulé, will be on the show tonight to perform their rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
Eir has issued this update:
“Storm Éowyn has caused significant and widespread disruptions to telecommunications services across Ireland. The storm’s severity has resulted in approximately 26,000 fixed voice faults and 63,000 fixed broadband faults, primarily due to power outages at exchanges and on our core network.
This has left approximately 160,000 homes and businesses without broadband connectivity. There are outages at approximately 30% of mobile network sites.
“ESB has confirmed that at least 725,000 homes and businesses are currently without power, further compounding the situation.
“To support our customers during this challenging time, eir has deployed backup power to 1,300 Fixed Network sites and 200 Mobile Network sites. eir has commenced mobile generator deployment where it is safe to do so and our teams remain on standby to restore services promptly once conditions permit.
“Service restoration for core and mobile networks will proceed as a priority. It is expected that there will be a significant number of individual faults in addition to this, but the full impact of this will only become clear after power is restored and after resolution teams have prioritised making fallen poles and lines safe.
“Each individual fault will require a separate repair visit, and it will take some time for the full picture to emerge.”
As well as the Status Yellow wind warning in place for Donegal until 11pm, Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow snow/ice warning for the county which will be in effect from 9pm today until 9am tomorrow.
A status yellow snow/ice warning has been issued for Donegal
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 24, 2025
Icy stretches and snow showers will lead to hazardous travelling conditions
Valid: Friday 24/1/2025 21:00 to Saturday 25/1/2025 09:00 pic.twitter.com/nPppot8k2x
These are the weather warnings currently in place, but due to lift at 4pm:
There are currently 2 warnings in place associated with #StormEowyn
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 24, 2025
Status Orange for most of the northern part of the country and Status Yellow for the counties in the southern part.
Please note that Status Orange still poses severe risk to your environment, health and life. pic.twitter.com/n5TJIZ63qf
Severe damaged been caused to buildings across the North due to Storm Éowyn, with Newtownabbey in Co Antrim particularly impacted.
Devastation in Newtownabbey#StormÉowyn pic.twitter.com/9C44ci4hIJ
— Dáire Ó Néill (@DaireONeill24) January 24, 2025
More photos of storm damage, this time in Dublin:
Dublin Bus services are now above 90% of levels typically seen on a Friday afternoon and this number will increase throughout the day, a spokesperson said.
Most employees and drivers were able to report to Dublin Bus’s eight depots around the city, and inspectors were assessing Dublin’s roads “as soon as safely possible” today.
Dublin Bus spokesperson Blake Boland said: “We’re proud of our drivers and the wider operations team that mobilised so quickly to get our buses back out on the road in a safe manner.
“However, some disruptions and diversions are still in place.”
The latest updates can be read on the Dublin Bus website or its social media pages.
Storm Éowyn brought the highest top wind speeds Ireland has ever seen.
Met Éireann recorded gusts as fast as 183km/h, in Co Galway, at 5am. Mean speeds taped at the same centre at Mace Head were hurricane force, at 130km/h.
Top wind speeds are over 50km/h faster than what were recorded during Storm Ophelia in 2017 and 10km/h faster than what was recorded during Storm Debbie in 1961 – both of which caused significant damage to structures around the country.
A number of Irish Rail routes have reopened, but significant disruption remains.
The 17:00 Heuston to Cork and 17:05 Heuston to Tralee will be combined, and a connection from Mallow to Tralee will operate. @TFIupdates
— Iarnród Éireann (@IrishRail) January 24, 2025
-CL https://t.co/wU2qpfu9MS
Some services have been combined. A full list of the changes can be read here.
Luas Red and Green Line services have resumed in Dublin:
The Luas Red and Green Line services have been fully restored following Storm Éowyn and are now operating a normal schedule.
— Luas (@Luas) January 24, 2025
Bus Éireann services are continuing to resume operation across the country. However, many services remain disrupted or delayed.
Bus Éireann services are continuing to resume operation across the country.
— Bus Éireann (@Buseireann) January 24, 2025
While a large number of services have resumed, customers can expect delays & disruption to services in some areas as we return.
Before travelling, we advise customers to check https://t.co/apwkemWMuC pic.twitter.com/6slHyA95EE
It’s shaping up to be a cold day tomorrow for many parts of the country, as a snow-ice weather warning is in place in Donegal.
Having just come off the tail end of a cold snap, the freezing and low temperatures may not be welcomed by many in the country – particularly as previous storms, like Ophelia in 2017, brought about warmer weather in the days after.
While winds will remain moderate overnight, temperatures will drop to as low as -2 degrees in some parts – with scattered showers in the west and northern regions in the country.
Some hail, sleet and snow – mainly confined in the northwest – will develop later, with longer spells in other parts. Frost and icy patches will settle in overnight as well.
A cold morning will follow those conditions, with crisp, frost and icy patches expected. Early sunshine will be replaced with cloud throughout the day – as rain from the Atlantic moves over Ireland.
Temperatures will remain low, between 3 and 7 degrees, with fresh, southerly winds.
A map, originally shared by Carlow Weather and created by meterociel.fr, shows the expected temperatures tomorrow at 10am.
A man died after a tree fell on his car in Feddyglass, Raphoe, Co Donegal last night.
Gardaí attended the scene earlier this afternoon and said emergency services were facing difficult conditions due to Storm Éowyn.
A Status Orange wind warning was in place in the county at the time. Sources have said that the man was returning home from work before the incident happened in at 5.30am this morning.
A ESB spokesperson has told RTÉ Radio One that crews have restored power for hundreds of thousands of customers so far.
A total of 656,000 customers are still without power across the country. Over 800,000 homes were disconnected at the height of the storm earlier this morning.
Close to 1 million households lost power today across the island of Ireland.
Meanwhile, nearly 120,000 households are without water as Uisce Éireann’s water treatment plants have been impacted by power cuts.
Margaret Attridge, head of water at Uisce Éireann, tells RTÉ Radio One that customers in Galway are worst-impacted.
Those without water are asked to conserve as much as possible as crews attempt to restore resources to households between now and tomorrow.
Siobhan Wynne from the ESB told the Drivetime radio programme that repair crews are currently assessing the extent of damages caused during Storm Éowyn.
She said the ESB will be able to provide customers with better estimates for fixes by tomorrow.
Wynne warned members of the public to stay away from fallen electricity lines and phone 1800 370 2999 if they come across them.
The number of people without water has doubled since this afternoon, from 60,000 to 120,000.
Earlier, up to 500,000 people were at risk. Uisce Éireann repair crews have commenced restoration works in areas where the Status Red weather warning has been lifted.
Head of Water Operations at Uisce Éireann Margaret Attridge is warning that service disruptions may last a number of days for some households and businesses.
Some of the iconic trees at the Dark Hedges at Co Antrim did not survive the winds during Storm Éowyn.
This avenue of beech trees was planted by the Stuart family in the 18th century. Many of the trees have been standing for two centuries. The site is the most photographed natural phenomena in the north of Ireland.
Up to 625,000 homes and businesses remain without electricity as ESB crews have so far restored 143,000 customers’ services.
Find out all information about the power outages in their area by using PowerCheck.ie or calling the 24-hour number, 1800-372-999 for updates, estimated fix times and the number of people and locations impacted by outages.
Cork County Council has advised residents that all roads which were previously closed today have since been cleared and are now reopen.
The local authority has, however, warned citizens to remain vigilant – as clean up efforts are still ongoing elsewhere around the Rebel county to clear fallen debris, powerlines, trees and branches.
In general, the public have been advised to travel with caution as the nationwide clean up continues.
Stephen Drohan has provided photos of a large eucalyptus tree was uprooted in Firhouse, Dublin today during the storm.
A large number of power outages remain as ESB crews continue to restore electricity to around 625,000 homes and businesses.
The provider said earlier that it will be able to give better estimates for the time it will take to restore power to customers tomorrow, but teams are working around the clock to restore services to premises as soon as possible.
Earlier, around 250,000 properties in the North were without power – resulting in approximately 1 million homes and businesses being without electricity at one point today during the storm
Have you been impacted by power outages today?
Road users are asked to travel with caution as clean up following Storm Éowyn gets underway.
The Road Safety Authority recommends that road users give themselves more time to travel on their journeys, now that shelter-in-place orders have been lifted, and to proceed with caution on Irish roads.
Drivers and cyclists are advised to look out for debris, fallen trees and electricity wires and to practice leniency with other road users while travelling.
The HSE has warned those who are considering using a chainsaw to avoid doing so and wait for trees and debris to be cleared by trained professionals.
Safety team tells the public to contact the ESB in cases where power lines have fallen on roads.
University Hospital Waterford has congratulated its members of staff who stayed overnight during the height of the storm.
“Míle Buíochas to the 384 members of staff who camped overnight in UHW to ensure that patient care was not affected by Storm Éowyn,” a post from the hospital’s X account said.
Those who stayed overnight included medical staff and other hospital workers, UHW said.
“A huge shout out to all our staff for going the extra mile.”
— Univ Hosp Waterford (@UHW_Waterford) January 24, 2025
Dublin Fire Brigade has thanked the public for their assistance in reporting unsafe scenes such as fallen trees and other damage cause by the storm.
The fire brigade announced in a social media post that its live map has now been closed.
“If you have to drive this evening be extra vigilant as there may be debris on the road,” the post said.
With #StormÉowyn passed we would like to thank the public for their assistance in reporting unsafe scenes, whether it was fallen trees, cables etc.
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) January 24, 2025
Our live map has ended but can still be viewed by clicking https://t.co/L4680rpqK6
If you have to drive this evening be extra… pic.twitter.com/Ou5Jh6rFTM
As the clean-up operations come to an end in many parts of the country, South Dublin County Council has thanked the crews who did the heavy lifting, and the members of the public who reported damage from the storm.
To report issues over the weekend, the council advised residents to call the emergency number, 01 4574907.
The council also shared photos of large uprooted trees taken by photographer Ben Ryan.
Thanks to our crews and customer care team who were kept busy today responding to #StormÉowyn emergencies across the county.
— South Dublin County Council (@sdublincoco) January 24, 2025
Thanks also to our citizens for your assistance in reporting issues across the day. To report issues over the weekend, please call our Emergency number… pic.twitter.com/5XFYw2ywaJ
Nicholas Tarrant, the managing director at ESB, has told RTÉ News that restoring power to the 625,000 homes and businesses that have been but off by the storm will take “a considerable period of time”.
Tarrant said that the worst affected customers will be without power for “at least a week” and that the full scale of the damage to the network would not be complete until tomorrow or even Sunday.
“The scale and devastation that we’ve seen across the country… that’s been replicated on the electricity network,” he said.
“We’ve seen really nationwide damage in a way that we’ve never seen before. So this is a very extensive restoration effort that’s going to take a considerable period of time to complete.”
He added that “the ferocity of the weather event has led to very extensive damage. And we’ll take another day or two before we’ll be fully able to assess, but we are making progress”.
ESB has put out a call for international assistance in restoring the network.
Storm Éowyn has caused devastating damage across the country, but it has also produced some stunning images, like this picture shared by photojournalist Padraig O’Reilly.
My pix shows Poolbeg lighthouse on high tide this morning #StormEowyn pic.twitter.com/sf8YzpzDoZ
— Padraig O'Reilly Photojournalist (@padraig_reilly) January 24, 2025
The number of people without water has risen since the last update from Uisce Éireann, who said it’s likely to rise again as the damage caused by Storm Éowyn continues to be assessed.
Approximately 138,000 people across the country have no water this evening and supplies for a further 750,000 people are at risk, Uisce Éireann said in a statement.
Widespread power outages at treatment plants and pumping stations continue to impact water supply.
Head of Water Operations at Uisce Éireann Margaret Attridge is warning that service disruptions may last a number of days for some households and businesses.
“We are still assessing the full extent of the disruption to supplies,” she said.
“Our crews will work around the clock where it is safe to do so to restore water service as quickly as possible, but given the extent of the damage, it may take some time before full service is restored everywhere.”
The impacts are being felt nationwide, with large areas without water across Kerry, Clare, Tipperary, Waterford, Galway, Donegal, Longford and Laois.
Updates on local supply issues will be provided on the Úisce Eireann website, www.water.ie as they become available.
The public are being urged to conserve water in affected areas.
Storm Éowyn has caused a basketball game in the Women’s Super League to be postponed this weekend.
The University of Galway Mystics’ home tie with Killester has been called off on Friday due to damage at their venue in Claregalway, Basketball Ireland has said.
The game is to be rescheduled at a yet to be determined date.
A ‘hurricane hunter’ plane belonging to the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has been based in Shannon Airport in recent days to study the strong winds caused by severe weather events such as Storm Éowyn.
The NOAA team is measuring ocean-surface winds in winter storms over the North Atlantic.
Part of their work sees them flying into the eye of storms to gather data that can’t be gained through satellite imagery alone.
You can read the full story here.
Kermit and the crew are sending a postcard from Ireland!@NOAA’s “Kermit,” a WP-3D Orion (#NOAA42), flying missions in the North Atlantic for the Ocean Winds Experiment Program for @NOAASatellites. These flights obtain measurements of the ocean surface in a variety of… pic.twitter.com/sNSfFN8ZIp
— NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) January 24, 2025
We are wrapping up our Live Blog coverage of the aftermath of Storm Éowyn for tonight.
The ESB is continuing work to restore power to the 540,000 premises without electricity, but the full extent of the damage to the network may not be apparent until Sunday. The ESB said it has put out a call for international assistance.
Uisce Éireann is also continuing to assess the level of damage and disruption to water supplies, as 138,000 people are now without water. People in affected areas are being urged to conserve water where possible.
We’ll be bringing you more updates in the morning as recovery efforts continue.
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I’ve studied weather and weather forcast for 40+ years. I’ve never see a forcast so severe. Currently it’s forcast for hurricane force winds, for an at least hour, in Clew Bay (Mayo), these type winds would normally be seen offshore.
Amazing and terrifying at the same time.
If ya can have a duvet-day tomorrow.
@Donagh Waldron: Best start preparing for more weather like this…if will be every year now!
@Donagh Waldron: thank you for taking sense ahead of the usual loonies in the comment section!
@John Doe: He says himself, using a moniker from a pool of Monikers.
@BrennJam: The genesis of this storm is a plumb of cold artic air meeting warm subtropical air over North America, the plumb was so strong that the interface was almost over the gulf (mid latitude states would be a ‘normal’ interface zone)
This created a very large differance of tempature over a short distance, which in turn created a exceptionally strong jet stream.
Then there was a bog standard low pressure drifting towards Ireland, when it drifted under the jet stream it was spun massively by the exceptionally strong jet stream, and boom!
Will it happen every year; impossible to tell. Yet the warming seas will increase the likelihood of formation of such exceptionally strong jet streams.
@Donagh Waldron: Ophelia in 2017 was remarkable but this be far worse. I too have studied meteorology for over 40 years and when you read Hurricane force 12 in the marine cast, this is exceptional. Stay safe everyone across the island.
@K Mehlhorn: can you remember what the intensity was for hurricane Charley in 1986, no one has mentioned this in comparable at all? One good thing on that was the six weeks of fantastic weather afterwards. Stay safe everyone
@Marie Agnew: As we are all up I’ll share a story about hurricane Charlie. That summer was terrible and potato blight was rampant with the ground sodden spraying couldn’t happen. Along came Charlie and flattened everything, wheat , barley and of course the already dying spuds . After the storm a Garda car was down inishannon way, west Cork and were driving past a field of potatoes only to notice a huge green swath still standing and apparently untouched by the storm. The lads were planting cannabis amongst the spuds ” as an experiment ” . UCC botany department got wind of this and the plants including a few potato samples were studied. The spuds next to the cannabis didn’t rot and were edible with an ” earthy” taste .
@Donagh Waldron: Mace head 113.7 mph gust that’s an all Ireland , island, record.
@Paul O’Mahoney: did they get more peckish the more spuds they ate?
@mcleixlip: My wife was in UCC at that time and nobody really had facts but apparently there was a fairly good party in some house on College road.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Mace head didn’t supply 6am wind speed, equipment is probably in Iceland now.
@Donagh Waldron: over exaggerated in some parts. MET E said it be 115km/h gusts where I am at 10am, now they are saying 70km/h it’s not even that. They were off the mark by 40km/h. The storm was worse a few months ago where I’m based on the south east
@John: South east? Nobody cares.
@John: And what were the gusts at 4am? 6hrs ago? I’ll help you Carlow and Kilkenny were 106 and 102 at 3am , 4am 108 and 106 these are two inland stations are you saying that the wind bypassed where you are?
This is the typical gombeen attitude, it’s not windy here so let’s have a moan about Met Eireann, the Government, and tell everyone what’s happening now 6 hrs after peak.
Are we producing this nonsense in a lab somewhere as its feckin everywhere now.
@Stephen: I’m sure a lot of people care about terribly wrong weather forecasts by MET Eireann
@John: Yeah but this one was spot on just before 6am we went red and the wind really got blowing. Out of curiosity are you a professional moaner, with the certificate to go with it. If not you should apply….
@Donagh Waldron: it’s a lovely day here, just been for a lovely walk, duvet day, pffft
@Paul O’Mahoney: if that’s true it’s hilarious,
@Paul O’Mahoney: That gave me a giggle, the good old days !
@John:. Met Eireann app and website are extremely accurate, providing both forecasts AND access to hourly data and most recent satellite images.
@Paul O’Mahoney: I think John is a questionable person
@John: But they were correct. Don’t comment and people will only think you’re intellectually challenged.
Hopefully I wont be looking up at the sky in the morning.
@Willie Marty: Glasnevin?
@Willie Marty: Those howling gales kept me awake all night yet on a normal night when I struggle to sleep I listen to ambient storm chillout music and fall asleep in ten minutes ?
Hopefully, it passes without any major incidents.
Stay safe.
@ciaran o dowd: Fingers crossed…… 210+ kmph gusts in the Aran Islands. There’ll be some damage out the West Coast unfortunately
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sector? seems to be a shocking culture? incompetent management? is it at the direction of the ministers/Dept of finance?: nope there wasn’t 210km/h just there. There was a possible chance that it would go up to that but never did. 183km/h was the highest recorded
@John: utter rubbish
Bye bye trampoline
@Luke Littler: no s××t sherlock.. doesn’t always work tho..
@Alan Smith: Unless of course you want rid. for free.
Can’t wait to make all my sandwiches tomorrow
@Liam deoráiste: Haha. Did you stock up on fruit too, William of Oranges?
@Luke Littler: you can feed the multitudes, any chance you have some fish ?
@Luke Littler:and not one brain between them,,,,
Already getting very very blustery/equally over here in Wicklow… Stay safe everyone!
I’ve a trampoline ordered. Getting delivered tomorrow
@Steven Wonka: Nope…You will be lucky to have it Wednesday!
@Steven Wonka: Why bother getting a trampoline, when we can bounce for free on the trolls heads that consistently disrupt and disrespect our comment section? We fought hard for free speech, and some foreign actors with multiple accounts under the same IP are trying to shut this freedom down.
@Meh Meh:
Foreign actors? You mean Gérard Depardieu is at it again? Shame on him!
@Jonn: The Dove from Above.
@Meh Meh: don’t insult the foreigners we have are own nuts, and a pain they are
@Meh Meh: reporting and muting to journal isn’t enough. Considered it may be journal staff stirring things for more comments traffic but the doe boy is too childminded so… but you’re damn right. He’s ruined this section for everyone .
@Steven Wonka: By air mail.
Met Éireann head forecaster Eoin warning from Éowyn
I hope everyone stays safe and well but the weather warnings for the mid lands has been reduced by an hour, I know it’s still serious but and it’s a forecast but does anyone think that the predicters do be just covering there own backs
@Nikki Swift: clearly not with the ENTIRE COUNTRY under a red warning. Sounds very warranted out there!
@Nikki Swift: it’s 6:25 am here in Kerry, our neighbour moved into a new built home just before Christmas, 1 hr ago I watched as half their roof along with solar panels was ripped from their home and as of yet have no idea where it’s landed. So No. I don’t think it was services covering their assessment. I think the warning is still credible. Just because it’s breezy in the midlands and if you have the brains or intellect to look at any weather radar you’ll clearly see up along the west coast are getting the leading edge of a hurricane.
@Maurice: Maurice, I wouldn’t bother. People think if it didn’t snow in their own back garden, it didn’t snow anywhere. They generally can’t read a forecasting map anyway, and don’t understand what a very low pressure system brings. I hope you all manage to ride it out as well as possible.
Kids just work now at 2.30am here in galway, right now the weather app is saying it’s 100km guests and we can feel the house shaking already, will be 140km at 7am. Can’t wait
How can anyone work from home with no electricity?
@Karen Marten: If laptops most likely charged and people can work without Internet and connect later. Also some have generators ;0)
Just home after night shift,anyone that has to travel take it easy, especially motorway.
Wow, lots of meteorologists here today.
Funny how people have studied this for 40+ years.
Amazing to have so many experts on here, bit like how everyone is an expert on Ukraine, Covid, mRNA, Palestine.
@Jim: same crowd that became epidemiologists during Covid this lot were probably around during the plague and the Black Death. Louis Pasteur probably signed off on their degrees
@Jim: Are you saying they are wrong? I keep weather records too as I garden it’s not unusual to have a hobby.
@Jim: Imagine…people thinking and voicing their opinions…Down with that sort of thing!
@Paul O’Mahoney: where did I say that? Usual twisting of comments.
@damien leen: no problem with people voicing opinion. Inferring expertise while giving providence (… for 40 years I…) is a different story.
My opinion is that climate change is a scam yet the bigots, Zealots & charlatans can have at it with my opinion & that’s fine?
Getting rough in Kildare now and we are in a sheltered stop. Polytunnel might not make it through this, at least it’s not cold. Casement is about 10kms away with 127kph gusts and we aren’t meant to be Red until 6am ….
@Paul O’Mahoney: BBC news just reported that winds of 108 mph were recorded in Co. Galway , the record for the whole island is 113 mph . Mace head 174kmh recorded…….that’s incredible.
@Paul O’Mahoney:
I saw Mace Head now recorded 183kmh
Half me roof is on the driveway
@Don Johnson: Likewise
@Don Johnson: And then you have people like John complaining… he must be thick as two max plancks ;0)
Work remotely where possible and I hope most businesses will pause start & opening times at least until worst is over.
In the majority of case it’s trees that bring down power lines , not wind on its own?
Remove all trees, branches etc out of the path of power lines and the outages will decrease accordingly?
I’ve four sliced pans for sale to the highest bidder….Brennans.
Very scary to be listening to,in Cork,was awake most of the night,But was surprised to get up and see all bins standing not even the bin lids blown opened,small trampoline in garden still standing,have electricity
I can’t find my cat
@Tom Kelly: Ours is under a bed and will not come out.
Is co clare still there ? Cant get through to any one in the west?
Great drying out there today..!!
As the government takes a break till February, Ireland going through one of the worst storms in years
Fantastic banana Republic
I’m sure it will blow over
Why didn’t someone just ask the americans to turn off the wind?
@bruce banner: Trump doesn’t care, since he got back into office most of America is freezing and that was Canada s fault. Since the jet stream popped out of the Gulf of America, aka Gulf of Mexico he let it rip and will probably say that’s what tariffs will feel like when introduced. He’s some lad for one lad.
Everyone charge your phones, tablets, vibrators etc.
The whole country is blown to bits!
People need to calm down. Irish people love to freak out. I’ve lived in the southern United States before and have experienced hurricanes and winds that would rip your house apart. This is NOTHING. Calm down.
@Ethan: And? The record for strongest wind has been broken and we aren’t finished, while we are used to wind and rain this is exceptional. Comparing hurricanes in the Southern States of America isn’t relevant and while this will pass later today the destruction will be seen then hopefully without loss of life.
Additionally most houses in America are wooden structures and held together with duct tape so the comparison again is irrelevant.
@Paul O’Mahoney: A wind record in Ireland is noteworthy, but calling this compared to what I’ve experienced in the Southern U.S.? Hurricanes like Katrina and Harvey brought winds of 125-150 mph, along with flooding that left entire cities underwater. Ireland’s record-breaking gust of 101 mph? Laughable.
As for American houses being “held together with duct tape,” maybe stick to topics you actually know something about, like tea or turf wars, because that’s as tired as it is unoriginal. It might surprise you to learn that many Southern U.S. homes are built to withstand hurricanes, thanks to strict building codes like reinforced roofs and impact-resistant windows. The damage happens because hurricanes last for days and bring catastrophic flooding—not because the houses are poorly built.
@Ethan: Still irrelevant, and it’s 114mph recorded. If you are trying to look worldly and intelligent, you’re struggling, and I’ve been to Georgia, Alabalma, Louisiana, and Texas and my comment stands regarding housing , witnessed tornados in Oklahoma too.
@Ethan: Yeah but in the southern states the rednecks just shoot at the Hurricanes and they go away. “We don’t like your sort round these parts”
@Ethan: Ohh, so that’s what we need to do ‘Calm down’. Everybody, listen up. Ethan said we all need to just calm down and this will turn out to be nothing. Thanks Ethan, I feel great now apart from the hole in my roof and the tree on my car. Thanks
@Jack Jack: But he has witnessed much worse and in America so the damage here isn’t that bad in comparison. I really do wonder what has happened to people’s sense of humanity and concern for their fellow people and communities. It’s narcissistic in the extreme it’s like look at me I’ve been to here, there, I’m great.
Hope you get sorted out. Not a pleasant experience.
@Paul O’Mahoney: he should f off back there
@Ethan: Spare us the hard man attitude. Comparing 2 different regions makes no sense. Different countries are prepared differently based off past events. People in Ireland arent used to such wind levels.. and the west basically experienced hurricane levels last night. And.. believe me when I say many Irish need a serious warning to take it seriously as many of us dont. Which puts people’s lives at risk. Red alert warnings were 100% justified. Just lucky that many of the country were in bed for most of it.
@Paul O’Mahoney:
@PaulO’Mahoney: Your comment misses the mark, genius. The speed of wind at 114mph is irrelevant to the discussion on flooding, which can be caused by heavy rainfall, poor drainage, or river overflows, not just wind. Traveling through a few states doesn’t make you an expert on construction or natural disasters, just a well-traveled idiot. Construction quality varies widely, and simply being in tornado-prone areas doesn’t address why flooding might be catastrophic. Focus on the actual issue, not your travelogue.
@Jan Eire: @Jan: Maybe if you spent less time dyeing your roots and more time learning geography, you’d know something, not American. I’m Irish born and raised I’ve lived in the US for over 10 years. Go back to your shampoo bottle, love.
@Jack Jack: I wouldn’t worry Jack. With a house like Swiss cheese and a car that’s more treehouse than automobile, you’ve redefined home improvement’!
@Ethan: We are talking about flooding now , we were concerned about wind. I was working, I’m not saying I’m an expert but I wouldn’t have said anything until you with your ridiculous comparison is the only reason I typed. People like you don’t really have much to say unless it’s about you. Everyone else posting was mentioning the extent of the storm and the potential damage and the effects of the high wind, but you chose to shoehorn in with ” calm down ” trying to belittle us.
Well, dude, you haven’t just look at the responses. Perhaps if it snows, you’ll regale us with stories of how you trekked across the Artic in shorts and flip flops.
Still irrelevant.
@Ethan: There ya go adding misogyny to your persona. Typical narcissist move.
@Ethan: agreed. Can’t beat a bit of scaremongering
@Paul O’Mahoney: White knight detected. So she can tell me to F off and go back to a country I’m not even from but the minute I say something back you have something to say ? Typical leftist virtue signaller. Probably reported me too as I hurt your feelings ? Cry.
@Ethan: Nah, just confirming what I thought you are, it’s easy to spot ye. I enjoy exposing people like you as you’re just another example of what’s wrong in this country. No empathy for anyone, no regard for other people’s lives or difficulties. People like you are part of the problem in Ireland , and those who lived away and return are usually the worst. Like you.
@Paul O’Mahoney: You’re quick to point fingers but seem to miss the mirror, buddy. Calling me out for ‘no empathy’ when you can’t even handle someone clapping back at a xenophobic remark? And you think you’re the moral compass here? Please, the only thing you’re exposing is your own hypocrisy. I lack empathy and really I’m the problem because I don’t cry over a bit of rain and wind ? People like People like you, who think they’re the moral police but You throw around accusations of ‘no empathy’ while hurling insults from the safety of your desk job. Go back to work now Paul like a good boy, I’m glad you had fun “Exposing” me must be nice thinking your making a change in this world.
@Ethan: Have a great day.
@Ethan: Is that an attempt at humour?
Prlck!
@Paul O’Mahoney: Exactly. I call you out for your hypocrisy and you run a mile. Have a good day White Knight. Had fun proving you wrong.
@Ethan: You think what you want afterall it’s only yourself you think about so it should take but a few minutes. I think you are the one found out dude
@Paul O’Mahoney: Don’t waste your time Paul
@Paul O’Mahoney: found out ? I proved you wrong on everything. I’ll say again also, not going to comment on the xenophobic remark ? Didn’t think so. Have a good day. Back to work now!
pretty damning that we’ve now had 2 major outages in 2025 and it’s STILL January?… Wish I could run my business so inefficiently and charge so much, what a dream
@Thesaltyurchin: yeah all those 400,000 volt power lines should be buried underground away from the wind, feck the cost of it
@Thesaltyurchin: Not inefficiency. Weather!
Hopefully it’ll blow the turds out of parliament.
@Meh Meh: Unfortunately NO Chance of that..mFFFg Srick like the best turds you just can’t wash off.. no matter what chemicals you use!
@Mick Hanna: Go and drink a pint of bleach you waste of ASCII
@Meh Meh: Westminster ??
A lot of the comments here would be better said in Westminster. I’m sick to death of rogue commenting here. We’re being played like a deck of cards, with people disrupting our legitimate comments. I’ve followed the Journal for at least ten years now, and this is the worst it’s ever been. The Journal needs to stamp out multiple account holders. It’s not that difficult, under GDRP legislation they should be able to shut down accounts, posting multiple times on multiple articles. Yet the moderators let it slide. Enough is enough.
@Meh Meh: I’m fully convinced that it’s the journal staff riling everyone up. A communal account pool. There is no way a legitimate comments board would allow it. Look at Reddit or Boards for instance.
@Meh Meh:
You’re as bad as anyone here. I saw the threats you posted before they were removed. Grow up you complete sap.
A Trampoline! There is always one!
Think about it … 625,000 premises without electricity & 138,000 without water. Stone Age Infrastructure…
Restore power in Dublin, and then worry about the rest of the country.
@Paul Cronin: The only problem there is that the people with the expertise to restore the power are all outside Dublin.
Today’s bread iv got a yeast infection yesterday
Put cables underground.keep a proper record of location in accessible ducts. They could have done this alongside broadband rollout.
@Glaston Beary: Mind bogglingly expensive (and the fibre optic cable is above ground).
..
HUNDREDS of flights cancelled..? Gimme a break… Hundreds of people maybe, but hundreds of flights… Blow it out of all proportion why don’t ye
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