Updated at 10.45am
Met Éireann has issued a yellow wind warning as Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice are set to make landfall.
The yellow wind warning, which takes effect from 12pm on Wednesday until 12pm on Thursday, was issued nationwide.
On Wednesday, Storm Dudley is set to arrive with westerly winds reaching a mean speed of 50 – 65km/h with damaging gusts of 80 – 110km/h. Winds are expected to be stronger on exposed coasts and on high ground.
Meanwhile, an amber wind warning has been issued for counties Antrim and Down from 4pm on Wednesday until midnight on the same day.
#StormDudley will bring a spell of wet & very windy weather tomorrow.⚠️A yellow wind warning is in place nationwide from noon Wednesday until noon Thurs, with the strongest winds expected in coastal areas and on high ground.🌊Large coastal waves & some coastal flooding possible pic.twitter.com/iR12qloSRK
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) February 15, 2022
The worst of the weather is meant to come with Storm Eunice.
According to Met Éireann, through Thursday night and Friday, Storm Eunice will track eastwards over Ireland.
The storm has the potential to be a "multi-hazard and disruptive event with damaging winds, heavy rain and snow possible".
It is expected that the strongest winds are most likely to affect southern counties.
Storm Eunice should clear by Friday afternoon when it will move to the west coast of England where it is likely to cause severe disruption.
A further yellow warning is likely to be issued, which could be upgraded to an orange warning for parts of the South and West of the country.
Once Storm Eunice clears, there will still be cold with fairly raw showers of hail, sleet and snow.
Significant falls of snow are most likely over central and northern parts of the country with locally blizzard conditions possible for a time, as well as disruption to travel.
#StormEunice will bring strong winds, heavy rain and some snow through Thursday night & Friday morning.
Travel disruption likely 🚗☔️❄️
A Weather Advisory is in place with weather warnings expected to be issued in the coming days. Keep an eye here⚠️ℹ️ https://t.co/d6jV0qpoyD pic.twitter.com/lCJg73aLIO— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) February 15, 2022
On Tuesday, the Government's crisis management team met to prepare for the upcoming storms.
All departments and agencies are relaying the public safety messages, aligned with the latest weather warnings issued.
As the storms approach, the following advice has been issued:
- Stay away from all coastal areas for the duration of the Met Éireann warnings.
- All road users should be aware of the potential for hazardous travelling conditions. Motorists should slow down and be aware of the dangers of fallen trees and debris. High sided vehicles, cyclists and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable during this time.
- People should keep their mobile phones charged.
- Never ever touch or approach fallen wires.
Disruption
Met Éireann spokesperson Gerry Murphy has warned of the risk of disruption to travel and power on Friday morning when Storm Eunice hits Ireland.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show, Mr Murphy said there was “more potential for disruption” on Friday morning, but there was also a risk of power cuts later today from Storm Dudley.
Gas Networks Ireland has said it does not anticipate any disruption to gas supplies during this week’s forecasted storms.
However, in the event of any power cuts, the operator has advised that people do not use barbeques, patio heaters or other outdoor fuel burning equipment indoors to replace cooking or heating appliances. Doing so can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
If there are power cuts due to the storm, gas appliances may be affected. People are advised to check if their boiler needs to be reset once power is restored.
More to follow...
