Latest Update – 7:25 p.m.
While one of the highest wind speeds recorded in Ireland was 122 km/h at Shannon Airport, winds were even stronger in coastal locations. This equates to just under 90 miles an hour.
A 142kph wind gust was recorded at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience today #ophelia #clare pic.twitter.com/qkytBkHtRQ
CONTINUE READING BELOW— Clare County Council (@ClareCoCo) October 16, 2017
Latest Update – 7:20 p.m.
Many services will return to normal tomorrow. While schools will be closed, some third level colleges will be open. This includes UL, Mary Immaculate College and Limerick IT.
Meanwhile, in North Clare:
@ClareFM Ennistymon Day Centre will remain closed tomorrow Tuesday 17th due to weather conditions.
— Lesley Dowling (@LesleyCoote) October 16, 2017
Latest Update – 7:00 p.m.
The clean-up operation in the aftermath of the storm is already underway.
The Council says the Ennis to Corofin Road has re-opened, as has the Doon Road at Crusheen.
Ardclooney Bridge, Killaloe, has reopened to traffic. The lower road from Inch Bridge to Kilmaley remains impassable due to downed ESB lines.
The road from Kilkee to Carrigaholt and Cross has been cleared of felled trees and the Kilrush Fire Brigade has cleared Kilmihil, Cooraclare and Cree roads also.
VIDEO: The scene at Ballyalla where fire crews from Ennis are working to remove a fallen tree on the main Ennis to Ruan road #ophelia pic.twitter.com/MvHl6BreCX
— Clare County Council (@ClareCoCo) October 16, 2017
The Council has stepped down its emergency number, due to a drop-off in call volume. Its out of hours emergency line remains in place, however. That is 087-4169496.
Latest Update – 6:15 p.m.
Services at Shannon Airport were understandably disrupted today, but they are resuming.
Latest Update – 5:15 p.m.
Winds have thankfully eased this evening, but there is no doubt that Storm Ophelia has wrought havoc on Ireland.
Three people have sadly died, and hundreds of thousands will be without power tonight, some for many days to come.
Schools are closed once more tomorrow, but more services will get back to normal.
This is the audio from our Main Evening News, as read by James Mulhall and it brings to an end – for now – this live blog. We will issue any more updates as they arise throughout the night but we hope, in Clare at least, that the worst is now over.
Remember, a Status Red warning remains in place until 1 a.m. and keep it tuned to Clare FM for more updates on air.
Latest Update – 5:00 p.m.
An ESB representative has told Clare FM that at its peak, 6,700 were without power. Currently it is down to 5,300 and it’s hoped this will reduce to 2,000 by nightfall.
Repairs will then continue tomorrow, and likely on Wednesday as well.
Anyone who sees any live wires on the ground is urged to steer clear, and to report it by calling 1890372999.
Latest Update – 4:40 p.m.
The latest update shows over 360,000 are without electricity, and that number could rise to over 500,000 by the end of the evening. The ESB estimates 5-10% of those people could be without power for ten days.
Meanwhile, waters are high at Latoon Creek Bridge, near the M18 and The Clare Inn.
@ClareFM river rine almost touching the bridge pic.twitter.com/drwCUEKP2p
— Shane Lorigan (@ShaneLorigan) October 16, 2017
Latest Update 4:05 p.m.
Some video from Lahinch – good to hear that it hasn’t suffered any major damage as of yet.
https://twitter.com/vaughanlodge/status/919935210510340098
Latest Update 3:45 p.m.
Unfortunately, there has been another death as a result of Storm Ophelia. A person has been killed after a falling tree struck their car near Dundalk. It is the third death related to the storm today.
Meanwhile, all schools will be closed again tomorrow. Education Minister Richard Bruton says the decision has been made in the interests of safety, and to provide clarity for everyone concerned.
It is also the case that school authorities will in very many cases not have had an opportunity to check their buildings and confirm they are safe, have power and water, and that routes to the school are safely open #Ophelia
— Richard Bruton (@RichardbrutonTD) October 16, 2017
Latest Update – 3:30 p.m.
Clare County Council have told Clare FM that they have received fewer calls to their emergency helpline over the last hour or so. However, Storm Ophelia is not over in Clare as of yet. Winds are expected to shift direction, and strengthen in the next hour or so. The winds will turn westerly, and it is feared this will knock more trees that have already been weakened.
Clare County Council will continue to man its Emergency Line until 9 p.m. tonight, and longer if necessary. 1890-252943.
Latest Update – 3:05 pm
Sadly, there has been a second death connected with the storm. The latest incident occurred in Cahir in Tipperary at around 12:30. A man in his early 30s was seriously injured while clearing a fallen tree, and subsequently passed away.
Earlier, a woman died in Co. Waterford after a tree fell on the car she was driving.
Latest Update – 3pm
There’s now over 4,700 people in Clare are now without power, on account of Storm Ophelia.
Faults are reported in Ennis, Kilrush, Ennistymon, Cranny, Cratloe, Shannon, Tulla, Scariff, Inagh, Ballyvaughan, Lisdoonvarna and other areas.
Due to power loss, water outages are affecting Bunratty, Cratloe, Newmarket on Fergus and Mountshannon.
There’s a tree down with live wire at Doon, Crusheen, near Doon Graveyard and another at Lackyle, Ardnacrusha.
The entrance to Abbey Court, Limerick Road, Ennis blocked by fallen tree.
There’s a telephone pole down at Furror, Lissycasey and also a tree down close to St. Bridget’s Lake, Bodyke.
Lahinch co clare #Ophelia #HurricaneOphelia #coclare pic.twitter.com/gZlZd0gdSU
— james o dowd (@bridge1971) October 16, 2017
This is Clare #Ophelia #WildAtlanticWay pic.twitter.com/rrFQi3UeAn
— Ross Byron 🇮🇪 🇪🇺 (@byron_ross) October 16, 2017
Latest Update – 2.40 p.m
Over 3,400 homes in Clare are without power this afternoon.
This includes 1,495 in Ennis, 800 in Shannon, 55 in Tulla, 44 in Cranny, 17 in Scarriff, 700 in Shannon and 454 in Cratloe.
1,110 homes and businesses in Gort are also affected.
The strongest gust recorded at Shannon Airport in the past hour was 116 km/hour.
Latest Update – 2.30 p.m
Tree Down with live wire at Doon, Crusheen, near Doon Graveyard.
Tree Down at Lackyle, Ardnacrusha.
A tree is down at Hurlers Cross on the road from Shannon to Sixmilebridge, making it impassable.
Another tree is down in the Cloughleigh area towards to golf course but is only partially blocking the road.
Tree blocking the road near the Five Crosses on the Inagh to Miltown Road at the Inagh side. It is not passable at the moment.
Meanwhile, in Spanish Point…
Latest Update – 1:48 p.m.
Met Éireann are continuing to monitor the storm, and have issued the following update.
Latest Update – 1:40 p.m.
Trees down now in the Shannon area also.
@ClareFM @clarecourier Ballycasey Avenue, Shannon. pic.twitter.com/8IzS9pVmss
— St Senans RFC (@StSenansRugby) October 16, 2017
Latest Update – 1:35 p.m.
There is a tree down on the slow lane of the M18, on the Ennis-bound portion of the route close to the Sixmilebridge junction
The following roads are fully blocked due to fallen trees:
-Kincora Park, Ennis
-Rossmanager Rd, Cappa South, Kilrush
-Ballyalla Lake to Templemaley Graveyard
ESB Lines down at Main Street, Clarecastle – ESB has been advised
ROADS: Due to falling building debris, Bogbere St. & Ardnaculla are closed to traffic. Emergency services are in attendances
Another power cut. 87 without supply in Shannon area. Earlier, we told you of a power cut in Cratloe. 454 customers are without power there, along with 44 more in a separate fault in the Cranny area. Power is also out in Scariff.
All Bus Éireann services have been cancelled for the remainder of today
Latest Update – 1:15 p.m.
Gardaí have confirmed that a young woman in her 20s has lost her life after a tree fell on her car in Co. Waterford. Another woman, in her 50s, has been taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life threatening. Gardaí have also urged “all road users to remain indoors and not to travel unless your journey is absolutely necessary.”
Latest Update – 1:00 p.m.
There is no doubt but that Storm Ophelia has arrived in Clare.
There is a tree down on the Killaloe Road, Ogonnelloe near Twomilegate. The road is fully closed there. We’re also told of a tree down between Ogonnelloe and Scarriff.
There is a lot of debris on the road around the Setrights Cross/Bunratty. Motorists are urged to be very careful.
Kilkishen Road in Sixmilebridge is closed due to a fallen tree.
Fountain Cross, Ennis, partially blocked by fallen tree
Tree down on the R474 Ennis-Kilmaley road at Beechpark
The winds are strong in West Clare too. There is a tree down just outside Cree on the Mullagh side of the village. The road is still passable – drivers should slow down and take care
In Limerick, Tree down on the Condell Road by the Clonmacken Roundabout blocking the outbound lane
There are also power cuts. 454 customers are without power in Cratloe, along with another 44 in the Cranny area. Nationally, 170,000 people are without power so the numbers in Clare will rise. The latest is available from the ESB here.
Latest Update 12.00pm
The Tulla Road at Clooney Church is partially blocked.
The Ennis Road at Kilmihil Mart is fully blocked.
Ardclooney Bridge in Killaloe is fully blocked.
The road at Paradise, Ballynacally/Kildysart is blocked due to fallen tree.
Moods before the hurricane
#OpheliaStorm #ophelia #ireland 📷16.10.17 #Ballyvaughan #Clare pic.twitter.com/6V6nYpnZSv
— Beers & Beans (@Beers_and_Beans) October 16, 2017
Irish Water
Irish Water has incident plans in place and crews on standby to deal with the effects of Storm Ophelia. Irish Water recognises that the predicted conditions are likely to result in power outages at critical water and wastewater installations which could compromise service delivery. Heavy rainfall may also increase the risk of flooding.
Power outages may impact the operation of our water treatment plants which would compromise the safety of drinking water. Where risk arises, working with the HSE, Irish Water will impose precautionary Boil Water Notices as necessary.
Irish Water is collating information on outages and other issues and will be updating our website constantly during this crisis. We envisage that crews will be unlikely to be able to respond to breakdowns in plants until it is safe to do so and this may lead to a loss of service for a period. However Irish Water and Local Authorities crews will respond as quickly as possible to restore services when it is safe to do so.
If you have issues with your water supply please view our service supply map on water.ie, visit twitter at @IWCare or call us on 1850 278 278. We would appreciate if members of the public would only call if there is an emergency as there are staff shortages in our call centre in Cork today. If there is a high volume of calls there may be some delay in getting through, we are grateful for your patience and cooperation.
Latest Update 11.45
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport will remain open today, but says the safety of passengers and staff is its first priority. Passengers are being asked to contact their airline with regard to updates on schedule changes today.
The following flights landed safely at Shannon this morning:
· Aer Lingus New York EI110 landed at 05:27am
· Aer Lingus Boston EI134 landed at 05:33am
· Norwegian Air Providence landed at 06:55am
The following flights departed from Shannon this morning:
· Ryanair Manchester FR4777 departed at 07:14am
· Ryanair London Stansted FR102 departed at 07:19am
· Aer Lingus London Heathrow EI380 departed at 07:41am
However, at this point the following flights are cancelled:
· Aer Lingus Regional Edinburgh EI3675 inbound service due at 10:35am
· Aer Lingus Regional Edinburgh EI3672 outbound service due to depart 11:05am
· Aer Lingus Regional Birmingham EI 3639 inbound at 6:35pm
· Aer Lingus Regional Birmingham EI3638 outbound at 7:00pm
· Aer Lingus London/Heathrow EI381 inbound at 11:15am
· Aer Lingus London/Heathrow EI384 outbound at 12:30pm
· Ryanair Wroclaw FR1172 departing at 10:50am and returning at 5:00 pm as FR1173
· Ryanair Faro FR2303 departing at 10:20am, and returning at 4:20PM as FR2304
· Ryanair Lanzarote FR1345 at 11:30am and returning as FR1344 at 12.00 noon.
· United Airlines flights UA25 inbound from Newark at 7.00am and UA24 departing at 9.05am
· Delta Airlines New York JFK DL406 inbound flight diverted to Dublin.
· Delta Airlines New York JFK DL206 outbound due to depart Shannon at 11.50am cancelled until tomorrow morning.
Airlines will continue to advise passengers of schedule changes and we strongly advise intending passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport. Shannon Airport will continue monitoring the situation throughout the day. Live flight information is available on www.shannonairport.ie or on the Shannon Airport App.
Latest Update 11.40am
Wind picking up in the Shannon area…
Hurricane Ophelia In Shannon, Co. Clare Ireland!: https://t.co/ab1yXbPVBC via @YouTube
— sean kirk🌐 (@snkirk54) October 16, 2017
Latest Update 11.29am
Tree is down on the Lahinch Road outside of Ennis, near Fountain’s Cross, no report of road closure so far.
A fallen tree is partially blocking the road on the Tulla side of Clooney Church, caution advised on approach.
Latest Update 11.00am
Wind is picking up in the Kilkee/Kilrush area but local Gardaí are advising people to stay indoors as conditions may change rapidly.
Elsewhere…
All still calm in Lahinch #Ophelia pic.twitter.com/yECoL6js7U
— Timmy Dooley TD (@timmydooley) October 16, 2017
Latest Update 10.45am
Power cables down on the back road from Sixmilebridge to Newmarket, about a mile outside the Bridge.
Water Issues
Members of the public with water services queries should contact the Irish Water helpline number on 1850 278 278. #ophelia pic.twitter.com/hAwOeRB6Xt
— Clare County Council (@ClareCoCo) October 16, 2017
Latest Update 10.35am
Emergencies
Members of the public with water services queries should contact the Irish Water helpline number on 1850 278 278.
Clare’s principal emergency response agencies are advising members of the public and services providers to avoid any non-urgent travel due to the Red Alert weather warning in place. Clare County Council, An Garda Síochána and the HSE have discussed the necessary plans for responding to the Status Red weather warning.
Meanwhile, Clare County Council has confirmed that all Local Authority public buildings and facilities, including Áras Contae an Chláir, Area Offices, Civic Amenity sites, leisure facilities, library branches and visitor attractions, will close at 11.00 a.m. The Local Authority response to the severe weather will continue to be operated from Áras Contae an Chláir.
Latest Update 10.20am
Banks
All Bank of Ireland branches are closed today.
All Ulster Bank Branches and Business Centres are closed but Telephony, Online Banking, Mobile Banking and ATM services will all still be available.
AIB's branches in Ennistymon, Killaloe, Kilrush, Shannon are all closed today.
Permanent TSB has this morning advised staff and customers that the entire branch network and the Group's head office will remain closed for the day.
The bank apologies for any inconvenience this may cause but the decision has been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of all staff and customers.
Weather
The Strongest gust at Shannon Airport at 10 o'clock this morning was 46 knots.
The wind is starting to pick up in Ennis #ophelia pic.twitter.com/3G4SvKvCer
— Clare County Council (@ClareCoCo) October 16, 2017
Latest Update 09.34am
Commission for Aviation Regulation
Passengers scheduled to fly into or out of Irish airports today may experience some disruption as a result of Hurricane Ophelia. If your flight is delayed or cancelled as a result of the severe weather conditions forecast, then it is important that you are aware of your rights and entitlements.
In the event that your flight is cancelled then your air carrier must offer you the choice between the following:
- re-routing as soon as possible:
- re-routing at a later date at your convenience: or
- a refund.
If you choose the first option (re-routing as soon as possible) then your air carrier must provide you with care and assistance whilst you wait for the alternative flight. Care and assistance comprises:
- meals & refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time;
- hotel accommodation where an overnight stay becomes necessary;
- transport between the hotel accommodation and the airport;
- 2 free telephone calls/ access to email.
If your flight is subject to a long delay (2 hours +), your air carrier must provide you with the care and assistance described above. In addition, if your flight is delayed by more than 5 hours, it must offer you the choice between:
- continuing with your journey: or
- a refund of the cost of your ticket.
Please note that it is not possible for passengers to travel and avail of the full refund.
If your air carrier does not provide the care and assistance described above, passengers should make their own reasonable arrangements and retain all receipts in the process. Passengers are advised to then submit copies of these receipts to their air carrier for reimbursement.
Passengers who remain unclear about their entitlements as set out in EC Regulation 261/ 2004, or who have further queries in relation to same, should contact this Office on 1890 787 787 or + 353 1 6611700.
Latest Update 09.30am Monday
Power Outage
103 customers in Doolin without power. Crews working on the fault but no estimated time of completion yet.
If you suffer a power outage, you can monitor progress on ESB's Powercheck here
GP Services
The IMO is asking the public to avoid using GP services during storm conditions except for emergencies
Community Reaching Out
Latest Update 09.20am Monday
Businesses Closures
Dunnes, Pennys, Tesco, Ei Electronics, Mincon, Atlantic Aviation Group, Molex, Modular Automation all closed today.
The Sale in Kilfenora Mart is cancelled this Monday evening.
Latest Update 09.10am Monday
Services For The Elderly Cancelled
The south Clare meals on wheels will not be delivering today. Obair, Newmarket on Fergus is asking neighbours and family to check on the elderly who avail of this service.
Further Transport Cancellations
Clare Accessible Transport have cancelled all of their services for today.
Latest Update 08.45am Monday
Hundreds of flights to and from Shannon, Dublin and Cork Airports have been cancelled today
Aer Lingus, Ryanair, British Airways, Air France, CityJet, Emirates and KLM have all cancelled services.
Affected passengers have been contacted directly.
All air passengers are advised to check their airlines website and social media for latest updates.
Latest Update 08.15am Monday
Closed Services
All Clarecare offices and day care centres will be closed today.
St Francis Credit Union & Kilrush Credit Union will close today due to adverse weather.
Coillte has closed all their forests across the country. No public access is permitted to any Coillte Forests until further notice. Further updates will be provided as the situation evolves.
Coillte would like to remind the public to be vigilant for fallen trees and to contact emergency services if any roads or access routes are blocked by fallen trees.
Latest Update 07.15am Monday
HSE Mid West Community Healthcare
All non essential Community Healthcare services will not operate today and the majority of our local buildings are closed.
All residential and emergency services will operate as normal and to the best of our capability in the expected storm force conditions.
The UL Hospitals Group have restricted all services to emergency with ED and Local Injury Units operating. Ambulance services are as normal for emergency work.
Latest Update 07.00am Monday
Met Éireann
Although there will be some severe gusts throughout the day, winds will reach their maximum strengths from the following times in the following areas:
From 07:00: coastal areas of Counties Cork and Kerry
From 09:00: Remaining parts of Munster
From 12:00: South Leinster and Galway
From 13:00 Dublin and remaining Leinster
From 15:00 North Connacht and Ulster
Latest Update 06.30am Monday
The National Emergency Coordination Centre in Dublin has been open and staffed since 6am this morning to monitor developments across the country.
The full resources of the Defence Forces will be made available to the Local Authorities and the Primary Response Agencies on request. Homeless service providers will keep their premises open throughout the day.
The National Emergency Coordination Group will convene again this morning at 10.30am.
- All unnecessary travel should be avoided today, while the storm is passing.
- Don’t travel during the height of the storm unless absolutely necessary. Listen to local radio and national media broadcasts regarding the current weather situation.
-High seas predicted, the public are advised to stay away from coastal areas during this period.
-Very strong winds are predicted making driving conditions hazardous, especially for the more vulnerable road users, e.g., cyclists, pedestrian’s, motorcyclists and high sided vehicles.
-Road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris.
-Given anticipated weather conditions, today is a no bike day.
-People are asked to check in on isolated and vulnerable neighbours today in advance of the oncoming severe weather conditions and again after the worst of the event has passed.
-People are advised to remove patio furniture, rubbish bins and any loose items from around buildings, which can be turned into missiles by the wind.
ESB
Power outages are likely to occur in certain parts of the country, with contingency planning activated by the ESB. The ESB is advising the public to stay away from fallen cables that may have broken due to the high winds. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1850372999.
Schools
The Department of Education and Skills has instructed all schools to act on the Department‘s advice and remain closed. -Crèches and Montessori facilities should also remain closed today.
Clare County Council
Limited essential services will be provided by Clare County Council during Monday 16 October. The following services however, are being closed due to forecast severe weather conditions.
-Central Waste Management Facility, Ballyduffbeg
-All recycling centres and transfer stations
-Active Kilrush Amenity Park
-Active Ennis Leisure Centre
-Active Ennis John O'Sullivan Park, Lees Road
-All Clare County Library branches
-Clare Museum
-Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience
-Loop Head Lighthouse
Further Clare County Council updates will be provided via Twitter and at www.clarecoconotices.ie
Latest Satellite © Met Éireann
Irish Rail
Airports
Shannon Airport is open but is asking passengers to check with their airline before travelling.
Airlines will continue to advise passengers of schedule changes. Shannon Airport will continue monitoring the situation throughout the day and live flight information is available on the Shannon Airport website here or on the Shannon Airport App.
The Dublin Airport Authority and Cork Airport is also asking passengers to check with their airline.
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann’s schools transport services will not be operating today. Because of the duty of care owed to children and to avoid the risk arising from travelling.
All other services cancelled nationwide from 5am until 2pm, when the situation will be reviewed. This includes the Expressway network. The company says it will attempt to provide some level of service in some parts of the country this afternoon and will issue updates when possible.
HSE
All hospital outpatient appointments are being cancelled. Only urgent procedures will take place and only essential community services will operate.
Department of Employment and Social Protection
All customer appointments are cancelled - but there will be NO impact on customer payments.
Driving Test Centres
Driving Test Centres will remain closed today.
IBEC
Given the current red status weather warning and widespread issuing of public safety alerts, Ibec is encouraging all businesses to minimise the movement of employees today and that safety should be of the utmost priority.
More on Hurricane Ophelia and how it will affect you here...
https://www.clare.fm/news/hurricane-ophelia-need-know/
