The people of Clare are being warned to ‘expect the unexpected’ this morning during Storm Eunice, which has made landfall in the southwest of the country.
A red weather alert which had been in place for this county has been lifted, with an orange warning now in place for Clare and 14 other counties until 11am.
Met Eireann is still warning of gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour in places along with possible coastal flooding.
Charlie Glynn of the Kilrush RNLI says it’s important people aren’t complacent despite the red warning now having been lifted.
Power Outages
There are currently no reports of power outages in Clare
Emergency Numbers
If you see fallen or damaged wires, keep clear and phone ESB Networks immediately on 1800-372 999 / 021-238 2410.
The Council’s emergency phone number is 087-4169496 and the main Council Customer Support line will be open from 8am this morning at 065-6821616.
For life-at-risk situations please dial 999.
Impacted Services
Schools and higher education facilities in Clare are closed this morning, while Bus Éireann say its services are suspended here until 10am.
Health
All outpatient appointments and elective procedures in Ennis General Hospital have been cancelled today.
The UL Hospitals Group says impacted patients are being contacted directly.
Vaccination clinics at the West County Hotel, Ennis are also postponed and those affected will be notified as soon as possible about a rescheduled date.
The Medical Assessment Unit in Ennis Hospital will operate as normal, however, as will the Injury Unit, which is open from 8am to 8pm.
HSE Mid West Community Healthcare is also advising that all scheduled appointments in Clare are cancelled today across Mental Health, Older Persons and Primary Care services.
While, Limited COVID-19 testing will take place in Ennis, from 12:30, for those who have appointments, with a further update to be issued this lunchtime.
Courts
Courts will go ahead as normal as it is expected that the alert will have passed by court start time.
The Circuit Court Jury will be attending at the slightly later time of 11am. The District Court will start at 10:30am as normal.
Parks
National parks and nature reserves including Dromore Nature Reserve will be closed to the public today.
Learner Drivers
The Road Safety Authority has assured learner drivers they won’t be charged if their tests are cancelled as a result of the storm.
Driving tests that were due to take place in Cork, Clare, Kerry and Waterford have been cancelled due to red wind warnings in these areas.
The RSA says anyone in counties under a status orange alert can cancel their test today without charge, if they don’t feel safe to travel.
They won’t lose their fee and will be issued with another invite to book a test in the coming days.
