ISHA BATTERS COUNTRY
One dead as storm wreaks havoc and sparks ‘tornado watch’
A MAN died yesterday evening after the car he was driving hit flood waters and skidded off the road as Storm Isha hammered the country.
The man – who was in his 40s and believed to be from Co. Galway – died instantly when his car veered off the N17 and hit a concrete post fence, between Claremorris and Ballindine, at around 6.30pm.
As the Irish Daily Mail went to press last night, the man was the only fatality of Storm Isha, which wreaked havoc across the country, leaving more than 170,000 homes and businesses without power and grounding dozens of flights. And as Storm Isha raged, UK-based storm experts at the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) put Ireland on ‘tornado watch’ last night, forecasting gales force winds of up to 160kph.
At 8pm last night, the ESB said counties Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and Kerry bore the brunt of the power outages – but more were expected through the night.
ESB network crews were ‘responding where safe to do so’ and said restoration times will be updated throughout today. As the status red warning came into effect at 5pm, the metal clock tower on top of the Thirteen On The Green bar on Eyre Square, Galway City, collapsed on to to the path below. In the capital, Dublin Fire Brigade were kept busy clearing fallen trees from Luas tracks and roads, as well as flying trampolines and garden sheds in Dublin and Cork. In Balbriggan, north county Dublin, electricity poles were downed.
Dublin Airport spent the evening updating passengers about cancelled flights, telling them more cancellations were ‘very likely’ up until late last night.
‘So far today airlines have cancelled a total of 114 flights – 58 incoming and 56 departing,’ the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said. ‘36 flights have diverted to other airports with 27 go-arounds.’ Shannon Airport remained open although some flights were affected. At Cork Airport, ten flights – four arrivals and six departures – were cancelled, with a further six inbound flights diverted from the airport.
Travellers were further hampered with news Bus Éireann suspended its town, city and intercity services in Mayo and Galway from 4pm yesterday.
In Kerry, there were reports of trees being uprooted and slates coming off buildings in Listowel and Killorglin, while most of Killarney was left without power from 5pm. Alan O’Reilly, from Carlow Weather, said by 3pm red levels were hit in Belmullet, Co. Mayo, ‘already with 91kph sustained wind and gusts up to 119kph. Sadly (in) Salthill Galway some people don’t heed warnings (referring to members of the public on the diving board).’
He said: ‘Mayo Sailing Club station in Clew Bay recorded gusts of 150kph again and station in Moneypoint is up to 127kph. Both stations are elevated but show winds increasing again and a lot of power outages on ESB Powercheck.’
In Waterford, council officials advised the public to stay away from all coastal areas for the duration of the storm.
Waves topped coastal areas in Co. Louth and dozens of fallen trees were reported across the country, including in counties Cavan and Meath.
Status red wind warnings were issued for counties Donegal, Galway and Mayo – and extended to Donegal from 9pm last night – while status orange/amber warnings came into effect for all other counties as the evening wore on.
More householders were due to lose power as the storm passed over the country. Paul Rock, who chaired a meeting of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) yesterday morning, said it was a ‘particularly nasty’ storm in an ‘unusual’ storm season.
‘We don’t want anyone dying as a result of this storm,’ he told RTÉ Radio. Mr Rock asked people to avoid coastal areas during the Met Éireann warnings and for all road users to be aware of hazardous conditions, including debris, and urged people not to touch fallen
‘Some people don’t heed warnings’
‘Still very tricky and treacherous’
electricity wires. Delays were to be expected at ports, airports and possibly some public transport systems, he said, advising people to check online to see if services are disrupted.
Mr Rock expects schools to open as normal today. ESB Networks advised customers to check estimated restoration times or report an outage on Powercheck.ie. ESB Networks will be making safe any faults which occur throughout the day and restoring supply remotely and on site when safe to do so.
‘It’s still very tricky out there and treacherous,’ said Met Éireann’s Joanne Donnelly last night.
She also said she expected winds to continue throughout today with another wet and windy day expected tomorrow.