Storm warnings as Hurricane Ophelia heads for Britain

GUSTS OF up to 80mph are expected to batter the UK and Ireland as Hurricane Ophelia sweeps in threatening to cause travel chaos.

The Met Office has issued severe weather alerts, warning of potential power cuts, flying debris and disruption to transport and mobile phone signal.

The tropical storm has been making its way across the Atlantic and Ophelia’s remnants are set to reach home shores today, resulting in “exceptional” weather.

Northern Ireland is covered with an amber warning which means there is a “potential risk to life and property” and is issued when forecasters believe people need to be prepared to change their plans and “protect you, your family and community from the impacts of the severe weather based on the forecast”.

Very windy weather is expected across the entire region, while a yellow warning is in place for much of Wales, Scotland, the North-East, North-West, Southwest and the West Midlands. Gusts of 55-65mph are likely across Northern Ireland with 7080mph gusts in the far south-east of the region.

Met Office forecaster Luke Miall said: “We do get these sorts of strengths of winds most winters.

“We generally get a few storms that will see these sorts of winds, but this is quite a substantial system because of where it’s coming from as well.

“And to get that sort of southeasterly strength across the south east of Northern Ireland – you don’t generally get that.

“You tend to get strong southwesterly winds because the systems come up across the northern half of the UK.”

Mr Miall said Ophelia will have gone through a transition on its way across the Atlantic and will no longer be a hurricane, but will still bring “hurricane-force” winds.

The storm front will track northwards this evening, leaving Irish coastal waters before midnight. Irish Defence Forces are on standby to deploy resources, including transport and engineering assets.