Donegal County Council has issued a number of safety warnings as Met Éireann predicts Storm Darragh will make landfall later this morning.
The storm threatens to bring very strong and gusty northwest winds with potential impacts of fallen trees, damage to power lines, very difficult travelling conditions, damage to temporary structures and wave overtopping.
A Status Yellow Rain warning will come into effect at 11am, followed by a Yellow Wind warning from 3pm until 3pm Saturday. A Status Orange Wind warning will come into effect from 10pm tonight until 9am on Saturday
Met Éireann has also warned some sleet is possible on hills and there is a chance of isolated thunderstorms.
Tomorrow morning, Storm Darragh will continue to bring very windy or stormy conditions, with very strong northwesterly winds and severe and damaging gusts. Strongest winds will be in the morning but it will stay windy and gusty throughout the day. There will be scattered blustery showers, with hail possible. Highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees.
The full warnings for Donegal are as follows:
A Status Yellow Rain warning will come into effect from 10am Friday until 10am Saturday morning bringing Heavy rain and Heavy showers with potential impacts of localised flooding, poor visibility and difficult travelling conditions.
A Status Yellow Wind warning will come into effect from 3pm Friday until 3pm Saturday bringing strong and gusty south to southwest winds veering northwest on Friday night with potential impacts of fallen trees, loose debris, difficult travelling conditions and some wave overtopping.
A Status Orange Wind warning will come into effect from 10pm Friday until 9am Saturday bringing Very strong and gusty northwest winds with potential impacts of fallen trees, damage to power lines, very difficult travelling conditions, damage to temporary structures and wave overtopping.
A Status Yellow Wind Warning remains in place until 9pm this evening.
A Status Yellow Marine warning is also in place from 9am tomorrow morning (Friday) until midnight on Sunday for all coasts of Ireland and the Irish Sea with Cyclonic gales or strong gales gradually developing during Friday and Friday evening, becoming north to northwest on Friday night into Saturday.
During this period of inclement weather, the public are urged to exercise extreme caution and only travel if it is absolutely essential. All road users should be aware of the potential for hazardous travelling conditions. Motorists should slow down and be aware of the dangers of fallen trees and debris. High sided vehicles, cyclists and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable during this time
The public is reminded of the danger of fallen trees as it may be the case that there could be electricity wires tangled up with the tree that will pose a risk to life – contact ESB Networks at 1800 372 999. Use the PowerCheck App to check for reconnection times if your electricity is cut.
Updates on the status of impacts of the storm in your area can be found on DCC’s social media channels. The public can also receive free email and text updates on road closures by signing up to MapAlerter.ie.
Donegal County Council can be contacted during normal business hours on 074 91 53900 and in the event of an out-of-hours emergency the Council’s Road Service/Housing Department can be contacted on 074 91 72288. For emergencies requiring the assistance of the Fire Service call 999 or 112.
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