Storm Hannah Hits Clare – Power Cuts, Roads Blocked, Flights Diverted

Storm Callum did cause some minor coastal flooding, including in Kilbaha. Photo: Ailish Connolly

The Status Red weather alert associated with Storm Hannah has now been officially lifted.

However, a Status Orange warning remains in place for the coming hours, and after the strong winds we’ve witnessed tonight, the best advice is to stay indoors and not to travel unless necessary. Winds also remain very strong in many parts, but they will ease as the storm moves quickly eastwards.

Met Éireann’s strongest recorded windspeed here tonight was 119 km/h – a gust at Shannon Airport – and this reading was topped only at Mace Head, where 120 km/h was recorded. Winds in coastal areas of Clare appear likely to have been even stronger, and one unofficial reading at Moneypoint recorded a max wind speed of 153 km/h.

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Emergency crews will be out in force over the coming hours to restore power to the 4,500 Clare homes that were without supply for a time tonight. Areas affectd include Kilrush, Kilkee, Cooraclare, Miltown Malbay, Lahinch, Ennistymon, Lissycasey, Kildysart, Ballynacally and parts of Clare close to Birdhill, particularly Killaloe. Updates on that situation are available on www.powercheck.ie, but the ESB is estimating that it will be after 2:00 a.m. before many faults are repaired.

Council crews will also be clearing fallen trees in the Shannon, Scarriff, Killaloe, Kilrush, Ennis, Kilmaley and Lahinch areas. We commend all of our first responders for their efforts.

Schedules at Shannon Airport have disrupted too, with some services cancelled and more diverted to Dublin. If you are travelling tomorrow, it is advisable to contact your airline for an update before leaving for the Airport to ensure there are no knock-on impacts on schedules. Bus services maybe impacted – Bus Eireann is advising intending passengers to check the ‘Customer Information’ section of their website for the latest details on Saturday morning.

In terms of this live blog, we’re going to call it a night now, but we will update social media channels and this website if necessary over the hours to come.

Thank you for reading.

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11:34 p.m. – Trees down between Moyross and Meelick at Knockalisheen, and at Lisduff in Clonlara.  More trees down in the Cratloe area also.

11:14 p.m. – only a slight easing of winds at Shannon Airport in the past hour – gusts of 111 km/h and sustained winds of 72 km/h (down from 76 km/h the hour before).

11:10 p.m. –

11:06 p.m. – Some in East Clare say conditions now are at their worst of any point tonight, in spite of the official lifting of the high-level warning.

11:00 p.m. – The Status Red alert has now been formally lifted by Met Éireann.

10:51 p.m. –

10:47 p.m. – The Status Red alert is due to be lifted in 15 minutes time, but in many parts of East Clare the winds are strengthening it seems. Though Pat in Lissycasey tells us that the worst has passed there. Let’s hope he’s correct!

10:35 p.m. – Another power cut, this time in the Ennistymon area.  The near-3,000 premises without power in West Clare also remain in the dark at present.

Hannah Ennistymon Power

10:19 p.m. – Power is now reported to have gone in the Lissycasey/Ballynacally/Kildysart areas.

10:16 p.m – Met Eireann recorded a gust of 119 km/h in the last hour at Shannon Airport.

10:03 p.m. –

9:56 p.m. – the Ryanair flight mentioned below has now been diverted to Dublin, Shannon Airport says:

9:55 p.m. –

9:44 p.m. – Clare County Council says the Shannon Fire Brigade is currently working to remove a number of trees and debris on roads in the Shannon area.

A thought, at this time, for our emergency personnel, ESB crews and others who are working in this weather.  Well done all.  They’re providing a real public service.

9:42 p.m. – Hope they get down safe.

9:41 p.m. – The gang in the Central Hotel, Miltown Malbay are telling us of a large power cut there.  It’s unclear if this is the same problem reported by the ESB in the Tullabrack area, near Kilrush.  That’s left nearly 3,000 premises in the dark.

9:38 p.m. –

9:27 p.m. – An update on the earlier power outage in West Clare.  Clearly it’s quite widespread.  This info is from www.powercheck.ie

Hannah Powercut

9:20 p.m. – We have reports of a power cut in Quilty, though the ESB have no report of that yet.  Anne, meanwhile, has been out on the roads.

Hannah Anne

9:18 p.m. – Met Éireann’s official monitoring station at Shannon Airport recorded a gust of 111 km/h in the last hour.

9:10 p.m. – It’s windy too in East Clare,  including areas as far inland as Killaloe and Cratloe.  Council crews are out clearing roads there, and in West Clare as well.

Remember, the advice is not to travel during the Status Red alert, which will be in place until 11:00.

9:08 p.m. – A couple more videos.

9:03 p.m. – Our friends at Carlow Weather are back… the winds in Moneypoint are getting even stronger.

Meanwhile, Cillian tells us a weather station in Querrin has recorded gusts of 108 km/h.

9:00 p.m. – One hour into the Status Red!  Two to go!

8:58 p.m. – The ESB has says there are 10,000 homes and businesses without power in Counties Cork and Kerry.

Gale force winds associated with Storm Hannah this evening have caused damage to the electricity network affecting approximately 10,000 homes, farms and businesses, predominantly in counties Kerry and Cork. With the storm continuing to track across other counties, further damage to the network can be expected. The damage is mainly attributable to trees falling on overhead lines as a result of the high winds, which have been recorded as in excess of 130 kph.

ESB Networks has mobilised and is in the process of despatching repair crews to affected areas to make the electricity network safe, assess the damage caused and safely restore power as quickly and effectively as possible.

Areas most affected include the Iveragh and Dingle peninsulas and areas of West Cork including Macroom.

Real time information on power outages and restoration times is available on the PowerCheck App or www.esbpowercheck.ie.

8:53 p.m. – Alan in Carlow Weather is watching the storm from (we hope) somewhere safe… 134 km/h is over 80 miles an hour.

But in better news those power cuts we mentioned earlier appear to have been resolved.

8:50 p.m. – Colm’s tweet looks quite ominous…

…while Brian’s shows the latest conditions in West Clare.

 

8:43 p.m. – Winds are picking up across the county.  Lahinch, Lissycasey, Quilty, Quin and Ennistymon among the areas from where listeners have been in touch.  It was still calm in some areas, however, including Tubber, Labane and Cratloe.  But as for Shannon….!  Well, Blaise is having some fun anyways!

Hannah shannon-wind

8:16 p.m. – Winds are definitely getting stronger, as expected.  In the last hour, the strongest that recorded by Met Eireann at Shannon Airport was 83 km/h. That’s likely to strengthen further and readings there won’t be as high as in coastal areas.

8:07 p.m.  –  The ESB is currently reporting two power cuts in Clare.  24 customers in total are affected, in the Kilnamona and Kilshanny areas.  But their PowerCheck map shows how there are many power cuts in Kerry, where there was a Status Red alert from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.  Perhaps a sign of things to come here.

Hannah Powercuts 8:05