- Storm Ashley is forecast to bring gusts of up to 130km/h in the west while there are risks of coastal flooding with high tides
- A status orange wind warning is in place or counties Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal until 9pm. A separate status yellow wind warning is in effect for most of Ireland until 3am tomorrow
- Met Éireann has warned of difficult travelling conditions and damage to already weakened structures
- Some 53,000 customers are without power and ESB Network’s fault map showing outages in most counties. See powercheck.esbnetworks.ie
- Marine warnings for storms and gales are in place around the country, with the west coast, from Malin Head to Valentia, under orange warnings
From Colm Keena:
People seeking international protection who are being accommodated in tents were moved to houses to shelter from Storm Ashley, according to a spokesman for a migrant rights association.
“The tents have been flying everywhere,” said Lucky Khambule, a spokesman for the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (Masi), who had been speaking to people staying in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, and Crooksling, Co Wicklow.
Read the full story here or at the link below.
From our News Editor Simon Carswell in Connemara. Storm Ashley brought storm winds and waves to Muighinis Island off the Co Galway coast this evening.
Dublin Airport has issued an update on the impact Storm Ashley is having on its services this evening, with multiple flights being forced to perform go-arounds when attempting landings with some being diverted to other destinations.
“Storm Ashley’s strong gusting winds have made it a challenging day at Dublin Airport,” spokesman for Dublin Airport Authority Graeme McQueen said.
“Gusting winds in the Dublin area throughout the afternoon and evening have made it difficult for some planes to land, resulting in a number of diversions and go-arounds being performed.
“As of 6.30pm, a total of 27 aircraft have performed go-arounds with 28 opting to divert to other airports ... around 60 flights due to fly in and out of Dublin Airport have been cancelled.
“With strong gusting winds set to continue for the remainder of Sunday, further disruption is possible over the coming hours. Weather conditions are forecast to be much more favourable on Monday, which should allow for a normal day of operations.”
Mr McQueen advised passengers to contact their airline directly regarding the status of their flight and warned of potential knock-on effects to Monday’s services.
The view at Hook Head in Co Wexford this evening.
A few rough landings and go-arounds at Dublin Airport.
While several flights in and out of Dublin Airport have been diverted or cancelled on Sunday, some of the planespotters next to the runway had a close encounter with a fallen tree earlier today.
Meanwhile, in the west, the Port of Galway has said that high tide is not due to come until roughly 8pm.
Water is already washing up on to the land in Salthill, as seen in this vide from the Atlantaquaria on X.
In Northern Ireland, NIE Networks said that at 5.30pm approximately 4,000 customers were without power.
It said power had been restored to around 2,000 customers who had lost supply.
A Met Office amber alert for counties Antrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry is in place until 8pm.
The UK forecaster said the storm would bring a spell of strong winds, causing some disruption.
Multiagency partners in the North have also continued to meet over the weekend in preparation for the storm.
As part of the response, temporary tidal flood defences have been deployed as a preventive measure along sections of the river Lagan in Belfast. – PA
The day so far:
- Storm Ashley continues to hammer the country with strong gale force winds
- An orange wind warning remains in place for counties Clare, Kerry, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo until 8pm on Sunday
- A yellow warning is in place for the rest of country until midnight
- The ESB has said some 53,000 customers were without power as of 5.10pm on Sunday, with Mayo, Galway, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Dublin being the worst affected counties
- Taoiseach Simon Harris has urged members of the public to head warnings about the storm
- The storm has caused travel disruptions to air and rail services
Harris urges public to head storm warnings
Taoiseach Simon Harris urged people to heed the weather warnings as Storm Ashley crosses over the country.
He said: “I was in the west yesterday and I know how hard the local authorities and communities are preparing for Storm Ashley and I want to thank the men and women of our front line services, our emergency services, people working in the local authorities, also the ESB. I think they’re in for a very, very busy number of hours.
“I see there’s already been quite a few power outages as well.
“My advice of course to the public is to always follow the weather advice in general and heed the warnings.
“They’re there for a good reason ... They’re there to keep you, your family and community safe.”
Asked by reporters if there will be Government funding available to help with any damage, he said: “Of course when the storm passes we’ll assess the impact of that and as is always the case if there is a need for Government intervention like we saw in recent weeks in relation to Cork that will be forthcoming.” – Cormac McQuinn
Good evening, Glen Murphy here taking over the running of our live Storm Ashley coverage. Thanks to my colleagues for their earlier efforts as the storm continues to hit the country.
53,000 affected by power cuts
A statement from the ESB had confirmed that 53,000 homes, farms and businesses are affected by power outages this evening.
“The worst impacted areas include Mayo, Galway, Sligo, Clare and Kerry, as well as North Cork and North Dublin,” it said in a press release. “ESB Networks crews and contractors are deployed and restoring power in impacted areas where safe to do so. Further outages in the coming hours can be expected as the storm tracks north, with Met Éireann wind warnings remaining in place until the early hours of tomorrow morning.”
Significant numbers of people will be left without power overnight, it said, urging those reliant on powered medical devices to make alternative arrangements.
Power outages spread
Power outages that began overnight in the south and west of the country have expanded across the island in recent hours, with some power lines down due to the high winds, falling trees and other reasons.
The numbers affected are in the thousands and are not localised, with outages in most counties.
Some earlier reported faults, such as that in Castleisland, Co Kerry, have been fixed by ESB Networks teams.
However, hundreds in Limerick city are now awaiting the restoration of power, alongside new groups of residents in places from Carndonagh on the Inishowen peninsula to Waterford in the southeast. In Kells, Co Meath, 842 customers are affected, with power not estimated to return until tomorrow evening.
Check for updates here.
Stormy seas
Social media posts show the state of the seas not just on the west coast but around the island.
People in coastal areas will be watching out for the effect of the storm at high tide, which is when the most risk of overtopping and coastal flooding will occur. High tide in Galway, where roads are closed and some sandbags are deployed, is at 8pm.
As the storm reaches its peak on the west coast, seas are already choppy in Dublin and the east coast. Met Éireann’s latest forecast suggests winds will continue into the night before calming into Monday morning. The orange warnings in western counties last until 8pm, but the yellow wind warnings for the whole island of Ireland are valid until midnight.
In pictures
Some photographs from Salthill, where roads are closed due to flood risk, by Brian Lawless of PA.
Transport curtailed
A number of Iarnród Éireann services have been disrupted after a tree fell on a section of track.
The 12.50 service between Heuston and Portlaoise is stopped at Monastervin, while the 1.35pm train to Limerick and the 2pm train to Mallow are also held at Kildare stations.
A number of other trains serving west coast stations are also delayed.
Meanwhile, in Dublin Airport, a number of flights to destinations including Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Aberdeen have been cancelled, with others facing delays.
‘Very dangerous travelling conditions’: Gusts of up to 130km/h
A status orange wind warning is in place for counties Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal until 9pm.
The highest recorded gusts in the past hour or so were recorded at Mace Head in Carna, Co Galway, (130km/h, with sustained winds of 91km/h); Newport, Co Mayo (gusts of 128km/h, sustained winds of 71km/h) and Belmullet, Co Mayo (gusts of 122km/h, with sustained winds of 83km/h)
Meanwhile, local authorities in Kerry, Clare, Galway and elsewhere have been working since the early hours to remove trees and debris from the roads.
Keith Leonard, national director for fire and emergency management, has warned of “very dangerous travelling conditions” by road and advised motorists to exercise extreme caution.
Travel update: air and rail travel disrupted
Strong winds are affecting air travel throughout Ireland and the UK today.
In Dublin Airport, some airlines have cancelled a small number of flights in and out of Dublin Airport, while others are subject to delays. Winds are forecast to remain strong throughout the afternoon and evening, which could cause further impact. Passengers seeking updates regarding a specific flight are advised to contact their airline directly. Dozens of flights have also been cancelled at Belfast City Airport.
Irish Rail has also reported disruption to services including Heuston / Tralee, Ennis / Limerick.
Stenaline and P & O sailings between Northern Ireland and Scotland are heavily affected, with most sailings on Sunday cancelled.
Sports events fall foul of Storm Ashley
Four GAA county finals have been postponed due to the weather today.
The Clare senior hurling final and the Galway senior hurling semi-finals have been postponed, while the Wicklow senior football final Baltinglass and Tinahely has also been called off.
In the North, the Fermanagh football final, between Enniskillen Gaels and Erne Gaels Belleek, has been postponed until next Sunday.
Thousands without power in Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Cavan
Thousands of households are without power across a number of counties, according to ESB Network’s fault map.
Most customers affected are in counties such as Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cavan and Donegal
Several thousand households are without power in Mayo, for example, in areas such as Collooney, Newport, Ballinrobe and elsewhere.
In Galway, crews are working to restore power to parts of Clifden, Oughterard, Glenamaddy and Recess.
To see where power cuts are in your area, visit powercheck.esbnetworks.ie.
Gusts of up to 125km/h recorded off west coast
A status orange wind warning is in place for counties Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal until 9pm.
The highest recorded gusts so far have been at Mace Head in Carna, Co Galway, (130km/h or 78m/h) and Belmullet (111km/h or 69m/h).
Meanwhile, local authorities in Kerry, Clare, Galway and elsewhere have been working since the early hours to remove trees and debris from the roads.
Kerry County Council has reported trees down at Blackstones Bridge, Glencar; Old Marian Park, Tralee; and Flynn’s Fore, Rockfield East towards Firies and is distributing sandbags to householders in the Kenmare area.
Warning expanded in North
The UK Met Office, which issues alerts for Northern Ireland, has increased the level of the warning to “amber”, its equivalent of orange, in four counties.
Antrim, Derry, Fermanagh and Tyrone are now affected by amber wind warnings, while the rest of Northern Ireland is covered by a yellow warning.
The forecaster urged drivers to be cautious and people in coastal areas to be cautious.
“Stay indoors as much as possible,” its advice reads. “If you do go out, try not to walk, or shelter, close to buildings and trees. In advance of high winds, check for loose items outside your home and secure them. Items include; bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences.”
Travel disruption
A small number of flights were cancelled this morning from Dublin Airport amid adverse weather conditions.
Flights to the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium were cancelled before 8am, while a number of others faced significant delays. Aer Lingus said it was “aware of potential disruption” due to the storm and offered a status checker on its website.
Further delays could follow as the main body of the storm reaches the capital in the afternoon.
Irish Rail warned that fallen leaves could cause low track adhesion, leading to expected delays.
Road users meanwhile, have been warned to avoid coastal areas.
“Also, dangerous travelling conditions are possible and road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris as trees are in full leaf,” Keith Leonard, national director for the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, added.
Carlow Weather, a long-time Irish meteorological commentator, warned that the current lull after the first wave of rain was forecast and that more danger is to come: remember that the orange warnings only kick in at 10am.
Power outages in southern and western counties
Hundreds of people awoke without power in the south and west of the State on Saturday, with ESB Network’s fault map showing outages in Clare, Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, Galway, Mayo, Donegal and further afield.
In Mayo, 112 people were without power in Westport, while more than 300 were without power in Ardnaree, according to ESB Powercheck.
In Limerick, over 600 faced a fault around Foynes, while in Cork, Midleton, Mallow and Castlelyons were among the places affected.
Storm Ashley is the first named storm of the season, which runs from September to September.
The low-pressure system developed in the western North Atlantic on the southern side of the jet stream, Met Éireann said in its commentary.
Travelling across the Atlantic and crossing to the northern side of the jet stream, it was expected to undergo rapid deepening late on Saturday.
It comes at a problematic time, with tides already high.
“We are currently in a period of exceptionally high spring tides, and this, tied in with the strong winds and high waves, will substantially increase the risk of coastal flooding, especially along Atlantic coasts,” meteorologist Liz Walsh said.
A number of coastal roads and amenities were closed in Galway in advance of expected coastal flooding risk this morning.
The high tide coincided with the storm from 6.30am to 8.30am, and will do so again from 6.30pm.
From 10pm on Saturday night, Salthill Prom from Seapoint mini-roundabout to Galway Business School and Grattan Road from Seapoint Road to Claddagh Quay junction with Fr Griffin Road were closed.
The Dock Road, including Spanish Arch, Merchants Road and Wolfetone Bridge, was also closed overnight.
