Unseasonable High Winds Leave 200 Homes Without Power in West for Storm Floris aftermath
Ireland is still grappling with the aftermath of Storm Floris, which brought unseasonably high winds to the country but managed to mostly skirt around the worst of its impact. As of Saturday, August 9, approximately 10,000 homes, farms, and businesses across Ireland, particularly in Counties Donegal and Roscommon, are still without power [1].
A yellow wind warning remains active until 4 pm for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, and Sligo, indicating that strong, gusty westerly winds continue to pose a challenge for power restoration efforts [1]. The power outages are mainly concentrated in the northwest region, and while the overall impact on the electricity network has been described as modest by ESB Networks, the presence of strong winds and falling branches presents challenges for repairs and safe access [1].
Storm Floris made landfall on August 4 and caused widespread disruption with severe winds and rainfall. The persistence of the yellow warning and ongoing outages indicates that some rural and exposed areas may still experience interruptions into the afternoon of August 9 [1][4].
The ESB is working diligently to restore power in the affected areas. In addition to the 10,000 properties in Donegal, Roscommon, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, and Sligo, Storm Floris has affected 200 homes and businesses in Sligo, Tuam, Ennis, and Athlone [1].
On the bright side, the outlook for the rest of the week is generally dry and mild, with temperatures of 16 to 21 degrees and some scattered showers in places. Tuesday will bring a lot of dry weather overall, with spells of sunshine. Winds will be moderate to fresh westerly to northwesterly, decreasing to light to moderate later in the day [2].
Elsewhere, Dublin Airport's operations were largely unaffected, although a small number of flights from Emerald Airlines to the UK were cancelled. The UK Met Office issued a yellow wind warning for Northern Ireland and much of northern England [3].
In an unfortunate incident, a house in the Ashgrove Park area of Belfast was damaged by a falling tree [4]. Median wind speeds during Storm Floris reached up to 70km/h, with the highest winds of about 90km/h recorded in Mace Head, Galway [4].
This situation reflects typical ongoing challenges in post-storm power restoration when strong winds continue [1][4].
References:
- RTE News
- Met Eireann
- UK Met Office
- Belfast Telegraph
The weather conditions continue to pose challenges for power restoration efforts, particularly in Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, and Sligo, as a yellow wind warning remains active. As of Saturday, approximately 10,000 homes, farms, and businesses in Donegal, Roscommon, and other counties are still without power due to Storm Floris. The ESB is working diligently to restore power, but the strong, gusty westerly winds, coupled with falling branches, present challenges for repairs and safe access.
