Brians bombs in with 80 mph gales & floods
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STORM Brian is expected to batter the country as strong winds and flooding are forecast for tonight and tomorrow.
Weather chiefs last night upgraded warnings as the nation prepares for further destruction in the wake of deadly Hurricane Ophelia this week.
An orange alert has been issued for Galway and Mayo as winds will reach speeds of 40mph to 50mph while gusts of 70mph to 80mph will hit westerly parts of Connacht tomorrow.
There will also be a risk of coastal floods as Storm Brian, which developed from an Atlantic weather bomb, tracks eastwards across central and southern regions of the country.
Similar warnings are in place for Wexford, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford tonight and tomorrow.
A statement from Met Eireann said: “Forecasters have elected to name Storm Brian this afternoon.
“This action was taken due to a potential risk of orange level winds developing in coastal regions of a number of counties in the west and southwest on Friday night and on Saturday.
“A rapidly deepening depression in the mid-atlantic is expected to fill as it tracks over parts of Ireland overnight Friday and early on Saturday.
“In general, the winds in most parts of the country will not be as severe as on Monday.”
Yellow wind warnings are in effect countrywide and various parts of Ireland will be hit by strong gusts at different times, with northern counties probably not encountering peak gales until tomorrow afternoon. The National Emergency Co-ordination Group said the clean-up of Ophelia was continuing yesterday. The ESB has restored power
to more than 311,000 homes and businesses since Monday while 74,000 are still without electricity.
Cork, Tipperary and Kerry have been worst affected and it’s expected it will be early next week before a small number of customers are back on the grid. Meanwhile, the Road Safety Authority has urged motorists to exercise caution and homeowners are being advised on how to secure their properties ahead of Storm Brian.
AXA Insurance told people to walk around their home and secure loose fences, branches, gutters or roof tiles.
Brittany Ferries last night said sailings between Roscoff and Cork today and tomorrow have been cancelled due to adverse weather.
A spokesman said the firm is contacting travellers to offer assistance.
He added: “The company apologises to all passengers for the inconvenience this will cause to journeys.”
For further details contact Brittany Ferries on 21 4277801.
The firm apologises for any problems this will cause BRITTANY FERRIES YESTERDAY