Hurricane Ophelia heading towards UK, Ireland

Damn, y'all. Batten your hatches and keep apprised of emergency instructions.

Wow, this is shaping up to be a really terrible year for weather catastrophes.

Be careful everyone. And yes to the go bag and emergency kits. For folks near the coast, have an escape plan, especially if you have kids or pets or other dependents or neighbors/friends etc. who need extra time and planning to get out safely.

Technically, a hurricane is a storm formed in tropical waters, which Ophelia was. The U.K. and Ireland get hit with really big storms, including hurricane-force winds, every now and then, but most of these form in the North Atlantic, and are not technically hurricanes. It's pretty unusual for a true tropical hurricane to be carried so far north. Ocean warming, anyone?

caw

blacbird said:

Ocean warming, anyone?

Click to expand...

Nah.

*Dugs head back in the sand*

-cb

In the 1970s, they taught "ecology" in school. We were warned about pollution and the new concept of recycling, I think, and something they didn't call global warming but was. They showed us a short film that seemed as ridiculous as the anti-drug films (not quite Reefer Madness, but close). I remember a man suiting up in a hazmat-type suit and helmet and venturing out of his bunker into a barren wasteland. I am starting to consider the creator of that film was a damn prophet.

This is going to impact the west coast of Ireland most. School buses have been cancelled there tomorrow

I live on the west coast of Ireland. Ophelia will be a "tropical storm" rather than a hurricane by the time it reaches landfall (expected wind speeds of about 80kph or 50 mph). There's been no talk of evacuating anyone. Sandbags have been distributed in flood-prone areas, people are being advised to avoid unnecessary travel (I've arranged to work from home), and some schools have been closed. The supermarket was busier than usual today (5-litre water bottles being one of the most popular items) but no sense of panic.

As far as record-breaking weather, this is the farthest east that any hurricane has gotten since records have been collected.

9:30am in Galway, and it's very calm. The crows gathered up, made a huge racket, and flew off en masse, which was rather eerie.

A friend of mine has brought her chickens into the house. Hope she's put plenty of newspaper on the floor.

Several businesses have opened up their premises for homeless people, including Tallaght Adventure World in Dublin.

This isn't actually the first hurricane to ever hit Ireland. Hurricane Debbie whacked us in 1961, killing 18 people. There was a "Night of the Big Wind" in January 1839, estimated to have been a category 3 hurricane; at least 500 lives were lost, possibly more as record-keeping in rural areas would have been very poor. But yes, it's pretty rare.

12:30 in Galway. Wind speed picking up, rain has started, trees are swaying a bit, but nothing out of the ordinary so far.

I'm having problems getting my head around its anti-clockwise rotation. Damned northern hemisphere!

15:30 in Galway. Weather pretty wild. Lots of my namesake blowing around, a few small twigs as well. 2 people reported dead from fallen trees.

School's may be closed tomorrow as well, depending on damage and power cuts. My nephews will be happy.

Still have power here, but I'm putting on the kettle now just in case. Can't be without my tea

15:00Z - 43Km/h in Galway, 96Km/h in Waterford (highest @ landfall)

Montreal Meteo Center (link)

-cb

18:30 in Galway and everything seems calm again. South coast seems to have been hit the worst. 3 confirmed dead. Schools closed again tomorrow -- nephews will be happy, sister-in-law not so much.

I'm sorry to hear there were fatalities. I was hoping it would have weakened enough and people had prepared enough that it would blow over.

Twick said:

I'm sorry to hear there were fatalities. I was hoping it would have weakened enough and people had prepared enough that it would blow over.

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Sounds like the people nearly escaped unscathed, compared to some places.
Hard to prepare for a tree falling on you, your car or your house.
Especially if you get winds a lot stronger than the local trees are accustomed to.

2100Z - winds are between 40 and 65 Km/h inland Ireland and Scotland. Isle of Man registers peeks at 78 Km/h.

-cb

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Glad you personally did okay, autumnleaf. We'll chant for those who didn't.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

I imagine the death toll would have been much higher if warnings hadn't been given. A lot of schools and businesses closed down, so there were fewer people outside. Unfortunately, some people didn't have that choice (one woman who died was a nurse, probably on her way to work).

RIP to those who lost their lives. Kudos to those in the Meteorological Services who gave the warnings, to emergency service who helped out at risk to themselves, and to businesses and charities who sheltered the homeless during the storm.