Record high winds from Storm Éowyn lashed Ireland and Northern Ireland on Friday, leaving one man dead and almost a third of Irish homes and businesses without power and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
A man was fatally injured when a tree fell on his car in County Donegal, northwest Ireland, police said. Schools were forced to close and public transport.
Officials warned the storm was one of the most dangerous they had faced, and Ireland’s weather agency Met Eireann said a 183km/h gust overnight at Mace Head, County Galway, temporarily broke 80-year-old’s record of 182 km/h.
The streets of Dublin were deserted during the usual morning rush hour, as shops kept shutters and people heeded warnings to stay indoors until a Red Wind Warning – the highest warning level – lifted across much of Ireland later that morning.
It was the first time a red alert had been put in place across the country since Storm Ophelia in 2017, which killed three people.
Crews cleared fallen trees from roads across the country, while roofs were blown off numerous buildings and an ice rink near Dublin was destroyed.
ESB Networks, which provides energy for the whole of Ireland, said “unprecedented” damage to its network led to power cuts affecting 768,000 homes, farms and businesses. He expected more power outages as the storm tracks north.
A further 240,000 properties were without power in Northern Ireland.
Howling winds from Éowyn made for a risky walk to Inn Tan Hill, located more than 500 meters above sea level in the English region of North Yorkshire.
An ECB spokesman said it would take at least a week to restore power to some customers.
Éowyn is the fourth storm in four months to knock out power in parts of Ireland. Climate scientists say the link between climate change and the frequency and intensity of violent storms like Éowyn is still unclear.
Research shows that sea levels will rise by at least one meter around Ireland this century. Met Eireann warned of an initial risk of coastal flooding on Friday.
All schools in Ireland and Northern Ireland were closed on Friday and public transport will not run in Ireland while a red alert remains in place. Hospital procedures were also cancelled.
More than 1,000 flights, about 20 percent of scheduled flights, were canceled at British and Irish airports on Friday morning, according to Aviation Analytics firm Cirium.
Earlier, a red alert was established for British Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom announced in Scotland.
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