"There is a danger to life and property."
Met Éireann have issued a new Status Red weather warning for Storm Ophelia. It was situated over Galway at 3pm today and is continuing to track northeastwards.
It will bring further violent and destructive winds for a time, with gusts of 120 and 150 km/h. Some flooding expected also, due to heavy thundery downpours and storm surges in coastal areas.
Met Éireann have said that "there is a danger to life and property."
Winds will gradually abate from the south through this evening and tonight.
The warning was issued at 4pm today and is in place from 4pm until 1am Tuesday, 17 October.
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Met Éireann explain that:
"The issue of RED level severe weather warnings should be a comparatively rare event and implies that recipients take action to protect themselves and/or their properties; this could be by moving their families out of the danger zone temporarily; by staying indoors; or by other specific actions aimed at mitigating the effects of the weather conditions."
Elements for a Red weather warning are as follows:
- 1. Wind - Mean Speeds in excess of 80 km/h and/or Gusts Speeds in excess of 130 km/h
- 2. Rain - 70mm or greater in 24 hours, 50mm or greater in 12 hours and/or 40mm or greater in 6 hours
- 3. Snow/Ice - Significant falls of snow likely to cause accumulations of 8 cm or greater. Slippery paths and roads due to accumulation of ice on untreated surfaces; situation likely to worsen.
- 4. Low Temperatures - Minima of minus 10C or lower expected. Maxima of minus 2C or lower expected.
- 5. Fog - No Criterion – not displayed.
- 6. High Temperature - As Orange criterion, but persisting for two or more consecutive nights.
- 7. Thunderstorms - No Criterion – not displayed.
- 8. Coastal Wind Warnings - Violent Storm Force 11 or greater. (Mean Speeds)