Galway battered with 140km/h gusts as Storm Eleanor gains pace

At 6pm on Tuesday, Met Eireann warned of increasingly strong winds and gusts that are battering the country.

We have now issued an amber wind warning for #StormEleanor. Here's the latest forecast #weatheraware pic.twitter.com/cw8SY5eZRD

— Met Office (@metoffice) January 2, 2018

With Storm Eleanor now in full force, it said that a gust of 139km/h was recorded at Mace Head Galway at 5pm. https://twitter.com/MetEireann/status/948253531148050433 It furthermore warned of "flooding" as well as damage caused by the strength of the gusts and hazardous driving conditions. Indeed, several people took to Twitter to share videos and pictures of flooding in and around the Galway area. https://twitter.com/mick_scott/status/948258201316810753 The storm is now continuing in its track eastwards. https://twitter.com/MetEireann/status/948257155999727621 Earlier on Tuesday, a status orange wind alert was put into place for Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork and Kerry. It will remain in place until 2pm on Wednesday January 3. The warning will see westerly winds with average speeds of 65 to 80 km/h, with gusts of at least 110 to 130 km/h expected. It's the fourth weather warning to come into effect as Storm Eleanor arrives in Ireland.