Garda patrol car blown over

A GARDA car was blown over during yesterday’s storm, with gardaí still inside. The patrol car was pushed into the roundabout near the Shopping Centre in Thurles and toppled over. Gardaí confirmed that the officers in the patrol car were uninjured.

A spokesman wrote on the Garda Facebook page: ‘Round 1 to Storm Ali… Thankfully no one was injured, but it is a reminder to all to stay safe on the roads.’

Meanwhile, tributes have been paid to fire crews who rushed to help a woman in Blarney, Co. Cork, after gales blew the felt off her roof yesterday morning.

Sabrina Lehane was at her home in Muskerry Terrace when she got a knock on the door from the fire brigade telling her that the felt roof on her 120-year-old house had blown off in the storm.

Ms Lehane said she was getting ready for work when she heard ‘a loud bang’.

‘I heard a thumping at the door. I opened my curtains and there was loads of fire men. I went out to the front door and the roof had blown off. Cork County Fire Brigade arrived out and made my roof safe, so thanks so much to them.’

While Storm Ali caused severe damage in some areas of the country, it was not as severe as Storm Ophelia.

Met Éireann said the highest gust recorded yesterday was 147kph at Mace Head in Co. Galway. During Storm Ophelia, the highest gust recorded was 155.6kph at Cork’s Roches Point on October 16 last.