An orange wind warning has been issued for five western counties today as Storm Amy, the first named storm of the season, brings severe weather to Ireland.
The orange alert covers Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo from 2pm to 10pm, with Met Éireann warning of potential fallen trees, power outages and dangerous wave overtopping. A yellow wind warning remains in place for the rest of the country.
An orange rain warning is in effect for Kerry, while yellow rain warnings cover the remaining Munster counties, Cavan, Donegal and Connacht. Met Éireann said the orange warning for Kerry also serves as an alert for West Cork, with significant rainfall expected in Galway.
A rare red marine warning has been issued for coastal areas from Loop Head to Rossan Point and Fair Head from 2pm to 8pm today, with Met Éireann describing conditions as “very dangerous”. The Irish Coast Guard has urged the public to stay away from coastal areas.
Storm Amy was named by the UK Met Office and is being fuelled by a strong low-pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean, currently influenced by hurricanes Humberto and Imelda near Bermuda. This system will interact with the jet stream on Friday, bringing powerful winds to Ireland.
Local Government Minister James Browne has convened a meeting of the National Emergency Coordination Group to coordinate the country’s response. Keith Leonard, national director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, said the storm would pose challenges for many counties, with local authority emergency teams now activated.
Iarnród Éireann has cancelled bridge replacement works between Dun Laoghaire and Greystones scheduled for this weekend due to safety concerns from high winds. The work has been rescheduled for November 1-2. Full DART and Dublin to Rosslare Europort services will operate over the weekend, while other planned rail works will proceed as scheduled.