Storm Jorge: Flights diverted due to high winds
- Published
Huge waves lash the coast near Belmullet in County Mayo
A number of flights were diverted to Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland on Saturday as Storm Jorge moved across the island of Ireland.
Seven flights were diverted to Belfast International Airport on Saturday, six from Dublin and one from Shannon, due to strong winds.
Passengers were coached from Northern Ireland to the Republic.
Gusts reaching 80mph (130km/h) were recorded in County Galway in the west of Ireland.
A "status red" warning issued for counties Galway and Clare, ended at 15:00 local time
Up to 15,000 customers suffered power outages but most of the faults have since been repaired.
The River Shannon has flooded in County Westmeath
A yellow warning for Northern Ireland, which came into effect from 12:00 GMT on Saturday, means transport could be disrupted by the weather.
The Met Office warning will remain in place until 15:00 on Sunday.
It says the public can expect:
Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport expected, with some journeys taking longer
Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges
Some short term loss of power and other services
Coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities affected by spray and/or large waves
Met Éireann had forecast gusts of up to 90mph (145km/h) in parts of the Republic of Ireland, with an elevated risk of costal flooding.
The latest weather forecast for Northern Ireland
The "status red" warning is the highest level of warning, meaning extremely dangerous and destructive weather is expected.
"Status orange" wind warnings have been issued for the rest of the Republic of Ireland.
Worst hit areas include areas in north Clare - where some roads have been blocked by fallen trees - north Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, Wexford, Kildare, Longford, and Meath.
Surfers rescued
The Irish Coast Guard said the Sligo-based Rescue 118 helicopter was called out to rescue two surfers who got into difficulty today during Storm Jorge.
The incident happened along the County Sligo coastline.
The Coast Guard said the two surfers were "successfully recovered and handed over to the National Ambulance Service".
It said it strongly advises the public to avoid coastal activities during storm conditions.
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The GAA postponed the National Football League Division 1 game between Mayo and Kerry. It has been rescheduled for Sunday.
Bus services were cancelled in Galway and Clare until 15:00 local time and Dublin Fire Brigade warned people in the city to keep windows closed, particularly on tall buildings.
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The reason the storm was not named Storm Ellen, the next on the Met Office list of names, is because it was named first by the Spanish meteorological service on Thursday.
Why has the latest UK storm been named "Jorge"
The Met Office and Met Éireann, who work together along with the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, decided to keep the name to avoid confusion.
The last storm to batter the UK and Ireland - Storm Dennis - left flooding and transport disruption in its wake this month.
- Published17 February 2020
- Published17 February 2020
