Storm Kathleen weather warnings issued across Ireland

Weather warnings for wind have been issued across Ireland with Storm Kathleen due to make her presence known tomorrow.

A yellow weather warning for wind is in place across the north from 8am tomorrow and the Met Office has warned there is a “slight chance” power cuts may occur with the potential for services such as mobile phone coverage to be affected.

“Storm Kathleen will bring a spell of very windy weather to parts of western Britain and Northern Ireland this weekend.”

Some exposed spots will see gusts of up to 70 miles per hour with large waves also likely, the Met Office has warned, with possibly severe gales for a time along the Down and Antrim coasts.

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People in Northern Ireland are told to prepare for the possibility of:

• Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs
• Power cuts with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
• Large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
• Road and bridge closures
• Disruptions to travel

A Met Office spokesman said: “Check for loose items outside your home and plan how you could secure them. Items include bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds and fences”.

“Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.”

The Met Office wind warning remains in place until 10pm tomorrow while Met Éireann has issued two weather warnings in the Republic, with a yellow warning for wind across most of the country apart from Kerry, Cork, Galway, Mayo and Waterford where an orange warning is in place.

Cork, Kerry and Waterford will be under an orange wind warning from 7am until 2pm and there is an orange warning for wind will be in effect for Galway and Mayo from 9am until 6pm.

This will be the eleventh storm of the current season.

The amber warnings have been issued due to “gale force southerly winds, with some severe and damaging gusts” that are predicted to hit the western-most counties in Ireland tomorrow.

Today, the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) Crisis Management Team warned of the potential impacts of Storm Kathleen, including very difficult travel conditions, fallen trees, some power outages, coastal flooding and wave overtopping.

Keith Leonard, NDFEM national director, said: “Given the challenging wind conditions expected, I would urge members of the public to stay away from all coastal areas for the duration of the Met Eireann warnings.

“Also, strong winds can make driving conditions hazardous – especially for the more vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and high sided vehicles – and road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris.

“Importantly, I would remind people that it is critical that they never ever touch or approach fallen wires.

“Be sure to stay safe and stay clear of fallen or damaged electricity wires and, if you encounter any, do contact ESB Networks at 1800 372 999.

“Where power cuts do occur, use the PowerCheck App to check for reconnection times.

“We will continue to monitor the ongoing weather conditions and ensure that all relevant state bodies are responding appropriately to meet any challenges.

“I would advise everybody to keep up to date with information regarding the developing weather situation via the Met Eireann platforms available.”