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22nd Jan 2025

Several counties get rare Status Red warning as incoming storm could be ‘worst in years’

Stephen Porzio

The entire country has been issued a Status Orange warning.

Update: 10.35am, January 22.

Met Éireann has now issued a Status Red wind warning for four counties over Storm Éowyn.

Scheduled for 3am to 10am on Friday (24 January), the rare alert applies to Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

It reads: “Storm Éowyn: Gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h.”

As for the impacts of the conditions, Met Éireann lists:

  • Danger to life
  • Extremely dangerous travelling conditions
  • Cancellation of events
  • Wave overtopping
  • Coastal flooding in low lying and exposed areas
  • Unsafe working conditions
  • Fallen trees
  • Significant and widespread power outages
  • Structural damage
  • Disruption and cancellations to transport

Met Éireann has just issued a Status Orange warning for the entire Republic of Ireland over Storm Éowyn, as a weather expert has said it could be “the worst storm we have seen in years”.

Set to take effect from 2am to 5pm on Friday (24 January), the Orange wind alert says that “gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive winds with gusts of up to 130km/h widely, with even higher gusts for a time”.

As for the impact of the conditions, Met Éireann lists:

  • Fallen trees
  • Damage to power lines and power outages
  • Structural damage
  • Very difficult travelling conditions
  • Disruption and cancellations to transport
  • Wave overtopping

Prior to this, Met Éireann had issued a weather advisory, which is in effect now and valid until 12am on Saturday (25 January).

It reads: “On Thursday night and Friday, a deepening Low-Pressure system, Storm ÉOWYN (AY-OH-WIN), is forecast to track across Ireland.

“Very strong to gale force winds are expected across the country with the potential for damaging wind gusts and disruption in places.

“Transitory falls of sleet and snow are expected too, especially across west and northwest counties. High seas and spells of heavy rain are expected also.

“Met Éireann is continuously monitoring the evolving situation and weather warnings will be issued as confidence in the forecast track/intensity of the Low-Pressure system improves.

“Please check the met.ie website and app for updates to forecasts and warnings in the coming days.”

Meanwhile, Alan O’Reilly of Carlow Weather said in a social media post on Wednesday morning that the overnight charts for Storm Éowyn are “concerning”, adding that it “could be the worst storm we have seen in years.”

In a follow-up video, he explained: “We have the high-resolution weather models now getting Storm Éowyn into view. It’s not a good picture.

“People that followed me for years know I don’t like to ramp or be kind of over the top but this is looking like the most significant storm we have seen in years. Damaging gusts right across the country.

“Now looking at some of the various options, the exact track is still a little bit uncertain.

“But really, strong gusts right across the country – over 140km/hr possible.”

“There will also be some very heavy rain – over 30mm of rain in parts of the south.

“It will fall as snow in parts of the west and north-west, with the north-west seeing some significant snowfall for a time on Friday. It will turn to rain but there will be lying snow in parts.

“But this storm now looks like the worst storm I’ve seen in terms of forecast for many years. So, you need to take it seriously.

“You need to plan for power outages. And you need to make sure that you heed the weather warnings that are going to be issued.”

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