Ireland endured record-breaking wind gusts of 183 km/h as Storm Éowyn unleashed havoc across the country and northern U.K. regions on Friday, leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
Schools closed, trains halted, and hundreds of flights were canceled in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland as authorities issued rare “red” weather warnings for life-threatening conditions.
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill urged residents to stay indoors, stating, “We’re in the eye of the storm now. We are in the period of the red alert.” Meanwhile, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney echoed the call, emphasizing, “People should not travel.”
Over 700,000 homes and businesses in Ireland and 100,000 in Northern Ireland lost power due to widespread damage to electrical infrastructure. Mace Head on Ireland’s west coast recorded the new wind speed milestone, surpassing the 182 km/h mark set in 1945.
The storm, fueled by jet stream energy and rapid atmospheric pressure drops, is expected to escalate into a bomb cyclone. Scientists warn that with the ongoing impacts of climate change, storms like Éowyn could intensify further in the future.
Source: Swifteradio.com
