Limerick City and County Council emergency teams are on standby as Storm Ophelia bears down on Ireland.
Limerick is one of the counties where a RED wind warning has been issued which, currently remains in effect from 9am on Monday 16 Oct to 3am on Tuesday 17 Oct.
A separate ORANGE rainfall warning is in place and is in effect from 9am until 9pm on Monday 16 Oct.
We would encourage people to stay indoors and don’t make any journeys unless absolutely necessary.
We would recommend a few tips to keep everyone safe:
- secure anything that could blow away such as secure garden furniture, trampolines, flower pots etc as these could be turned into missiles in the wind. Take them indoors if possible
- don’t leave wheelie bins outside on footpaths or at front of houses
- be prepared for services to be out, charge Mobile phones, have torches on stand by with spare batteries
- please don't leave candles unattended
- don't make unnecessary trips
- check on your neighbours to see if they are ok, especially if they are elderly
- where possible bring your pets inside
Dial 999/112 for emergency services only if needed.
Limerick City and County Council 061 556000 Out of Hours 061 417833
ESB Networks 1850 372 999
Gas Networks Ireland 1850 205 050
Stay safe everyone.
Limerick City and County Council will continue to monitor the situation as Storm Ophelia makes landfall and tracks across Ireland.
The local authority’s emergency teams are on standby and they will be deployed when it is safe to do so.
While the Severe Weather Assessment Team will meet tomorrow morning [Monday 16 Oct] to reassess the situation based on the most up-to-date information from Met Eireann and the National Emergency Coordination Group.
The scheduled meetings of the full council and the Metropolitan district have been postponed until further notice.
Limerick City and County Council has been in ongoing contact with the HSE and the Gardai and are appealing to the public to exercise extreme caution.
- Monday should be a no bike day.
- Drive with extreme caution and expect the unexpected. It goes without saying, do not use your phone while driving.
- Listen to local radio and national media broadcasts regarding the current weather situation.
- Stay away from fallen trees and fallen electricity cables.
- Stay away from open water and coastal areas.
- Monitor Met Éireann forecasts and heed all safety warnings issued.
The National Emergency Coordination Group has issued these key messages:
- All unnecessary travel should be avoided on Monday, while the storm is passing.
- Don’t travel in Red level warning areas during the height of the storm unless absolutely necessary, and take due care if travelling in all other areas. Listen to local radio and national media broadcasts regarding the current weather situation.
- High seas predicted, the public are advised to stay away from coastal areas during this period.
- Very strong winds are predicted making driving conditions hazardous, especially for the more vulnerable road users, e.g., cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclist and high sided vehicles. Road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris.
- Given anticipated weather conditions, tomorrow should be a no bike day.
- Power outages are likely to occur in certain parts of the country, with contingency planning activated by the ESB. The ESB is advising the public to stay away from fallen cables that may have broken due to the high winds. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1850372999.
- Bus Éireann’s schools transport services will not be operating in counties covered by Red level warnings. Because of the duty of care owed to children and to avoid the risk arising from travelling, the Department of Education and Skills is instructing all schools to act on the Department‘s advice and remain closed. Crèches and Montessori facilities should also remain closed tomorrow.
- People are asked to check in on isolated and vulnerable neighbours today in advance of the oncoming severe weather conditions and again after the worst of the event has passed.
- People are advised to remove patio furniture, rubbish bins and any loose items from around buildings, which can be turned into missiles by the wind.
The public are again reminded to monitor Met Éireann forecasts for their area and to be aware of the weather conditions and to heed safety warnings.
Information is available on www.Limerick.ie, across social media platforms and other traditional media sources.
Be prepared, be sensible and be careful and stay safe.
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