NOS News•today, 10:05•Amended today, 10:21
More than 700,000 households in Ireland are without power due to Storm Éowyn. That number is expected to increase further. Prime Minister Martin speaks of a historic storm and calls on everyone to stay at home.
In Ireland, the electricity lines run above ground, which, as expected, will cause significant damage to Éowyn. The Irish grid operator expects that it will take at least a week before all households have power again.
Irish media do not report any personal accidents, but they do report material damage. For example, part of the roof of a house was blown away, trees fell and a construction scaffolding also came loose from a building. Boulevards on the coast were also flooded.
No storm in the Netherlands
The consequences of the storm are noticeable in the Netherlands. About twenty flights to and from the United Kingdom and Ireland have been canceled at Schiphol. This includes flights to and from Dublin, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast.
The KNMI expects that Éowyn will not become a real storm in the Netherlands. The wind may blow hard, but it will not be a real storm.
These are the first images of Storm Éowyn in Ireland:
-Very heavy storm Eowyn makes landfall in Ireland
Storm Éowyn is the strongest in decades. The storm could even become a hurricane, but that will only happen if there is wind force 12. Wind gusts of 183 kilometers per hour have already been measured on the west coast.
Wind force 12 applies when the wind speed is an average of 117 kilometers per hour or higher for 10 minutes.
Due to the heavy storm, the Irish meteorological service warned a large part of the country with code red. Code orange applies in the south. It is exceptional that the weather alert applies throughout Ireland.
Schools and public buildings in both Ireland and the United Kingdom remain closed today. Trains. Trains, buses and trams will not run as long as the weather warning is in effect. Essential services, such as hospitals, remain operational, but all work according to an emergency plan.