Gale Eowyn is hitting Britain and Ireland on Friday. – This may be one of the strongest storms in the history of the British Isles – said Tomasz Wasilewski, presenter of tvnmeteo.pl, on TVN24. In places, wind gusts may exceed 160 kilometers per hour. The Irish Meteorological Service, Met Eireann, has issued the highest level warnings for the entire country.
On Friday, an extremely strong storm called Eowyn hits the British Isles. Forecasters warn of destructive winds that will break trees and take down power lines.
– This may be one of the strongest storms in the history of the British Isles. This is actually a hurricane that reached the coast of Ireland and Great Britain – said Tomasz Wasilewski, presenter of tvnmeteo.pl, on Friday in “WstaÅ„sz i pozna” on TVN24. He added that on Friday morning wind speeds off the coast of Great Britain exceeded 150 kilometers per hour. – The peak of this storm will probably occur around 12-2 p.m. This is a hurricane-force wind, he added.
According to the BBC, the greatest disruptions are expected to occur in Northern Ireland and some parts of Scotland, as well as in coastal areas of Great Britain, where wind gusts may exceed 161 km/h.
Millions of people in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland were advised not to leave their homes on Friday morning.
Wind gusts on Fridaywetteronline.de
Red alert for all of Ireland
The Irish Meteorological Service, Met Eireann, has issued the highest level warnings across the country, meaning there is a risk to life and major transport disruptions. The statement shows that winds may reach gusts of over 130 km/h.
A red alert has been issued across Ireland for the first time since storm Ophelia in 2017, which led to the death of three people.
The British Met Office weather service has issued the highest level warnings for several central regions of the country. In addition, second and first level alerts apply. Experts warn against winds blowing down trees, as well as against flying debris that may pose a threat.
Ferry services have been suspended
Ferry operators canceled many sailings across the Irish Sea on Friday because of the storm. Irish Ferries has canceled crossings in both directions between Dublin and the towns of Holyhead, Rosslare, Pembroke and Cherbourg.
Operator Stena Line has also canceled some crossings between Belfast, Cairnryan and Liverpool, as well as the Dublin-Holyhead route. Ferries between Rosslare and Fishguard have also been cancelled.
Belfast International Airport authorities have announced that its operations will be limited for the duration of the red weather warning, which is scheduled to apply from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. Airport authorities advised passengers to check their flight status with their airlines.
All schools in Northern Ireland are closed from Thursday for the safety of students and teachers. Schools and nurseries in central and southern Scotland are also to remain closed on Friday. Supermarket chains Lidl and Tesco closed their stores. Bus and train services have been suspended in Northern Ireland.
As reported by the BBC, over 560,000 buildings in Ireland are without electricity on Friday morning.
Main photo source: Andrew Milligan / PA Images / Getty Images