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Hurricane Ophelia: Three killed as storm lashes Ireland

Pacemaker Battling through the heavy winds in Donaghadee, County Down, during Hurricane OpheliaPacemaker
Battling the heavy winds in Donaghadee, County Down

Three people have been killed as Hurricane Ophelia lashes Ireland, with a national emergency declared in the Republic of Ireland.

One man in his 30s died in a chainsaw accident while trying to clear a fallen tree in County Tipperary.

Niall Fulton Tree collapses on a house in Broughshane, County Antrim, during Hurricane OpheliaNiall Fulton
A tree came down on this house in Broughshane, County Antrim

A woman in her 50s in County Waterford and a man in County Louth were killed after trees fell on their cars.

All schools in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will remain closed on Tuesday.

Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar has warned people to stay indoors, as severe winds cause transport disruption, uproot trees and cut power supplies.

Spelga Dam feels the full force of storm Ophelia

An amber warning for high winds is in force in Northern Ireland until 23:00 BST.

The worst of the weather is expected to continue into Monday evening, with winds of up to 80mph (130km/h) forecast.

On Monday night, residents were evacuated from flats in Rodgers Quay, Carrickfergus, due to the risk of flooding from tidal surges.

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About 8,000 homes have no electricity in Northern Ireland.

NIE Tree brought down an overhead electricity line on Upper Malone Road, Dunmurry, Belfast.NIE
Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) posted this picture of a fallen tree, which brought down an overhead cable and damaged a car in Dunmurry

Some 295,000 customers are without power in the Republic and it could be 10 days before normal service resumes. Emergency crews are coming from Northern Ireland and the UK to help restore the supply, said the Irish PM.

A red weather alert is in place across the Republic of Ireland, meaning there is a danger to life.

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A number of roads in Northern Ireland have been closed or blocked by fallen trees, and public transport came to a virtual standstill from late afternoon on Monday.

Further details are available from Trafficwatch NI.

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In other storm developments:

  • A number of Translink services were subject to delay, disruption or cancellation. A normal service is planned, subject to safety assessments, on Tuesday 17 October, apart from school services
  • Bus Éireann cancelled all bus services in the Republic of Ireland from 05:00 BST on Monday 16 October until 05:00 BST on Tuesday
  • Belfast City Airport cancelled all flights from 17:45 BST. All flights are due to operate on Tuesday
  • Up to 180 flights are cancelled to and from Dublin Airport - passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling
  • Derry's Foyle Bridge has closed to high-sided vehicles and the city's Peace Bridge is also closed
  • All further education colleges were closed on Monday and will remain shut on Tuesday
  • Many non-essential council services have been suspended. Belfast City Council has closed all facilities apart from the crematorium
  • Classes at Ulster University and St Mary's University College were cancelled, while classes at Queen's University were cancelled from midday. Queen's and Ulster University plan to re-open on Tuesday
  • Routine outpatient appointments and routine treatments scheduled for Monday afternoon postponed at Altnagelvin Hospital, Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex and the South West Acute Hospital
  • Exams body CCEA announced that Level 1 and Level 2 Essential Skills exams set for Monday have been postponed until Thursday
  • Forests and country parks closed on Monday
  • Former US President Bill Clinton has cancelled a trip to Belfast because of the weather
  • Irish Coastguard said they rescued two kite surfers in difficulty at Blackrock, County Louth. The public has been advised to stay away from the coast
  • Extra beds have been made available in some Belfast hostels for the city's homeless
  • Dublin City Council has sourced an additional 200 emergency bed spaces for homeless people in the city

The head of the Northern Ireland civil service, David Sterling, chaired a meeting of the civil contingencies group at Stormont to assess how best to deliver public services while Northern Ireland is being hit by the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia.

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Mr Sterling said a lot of work was ongoing to keep people safe.

Responding to criticism from parents about the late warning given regarding Monday's schools closure, Mr Sterling said his officials had to rely on the best evidence available and balance competing judgments.

Damage caused by Storm Ophelia across Ireland

The warning about the further closures came earlier at about 16:30 BST on Tuesday,

Forecast for Ophelia
Originally a hurricane, Ophelia weakened on its path across the Atlantic Ocean

The Irish government has deployed the army and all hospital outpatient appointments in the Republic were cancelled on Monday

The Irish PM said: "I don't want anyone to think that this is anything other than a national emergency and a red alert in all counties, all cities, all areas."

UK Prime Minister Theresa May spoke to her Irish counterpart Mr Varadkar on Monday afternoon to offer support to affected areas.

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