Ophelia claims life of woman as winds of 140km/h predicted

Storm Ophelia has claimed the life of a woman in Co Waterford.

The woman died when a falling tree struck her car in Aglish in west Waterford.

Motorists are being urged not to make non-essential journeys during the red weather warning which is in place across the whole country.

While Met Éireann has said the north-west will not be the worst affected area of the country, Storm Ophelia will be cyclonic in the western coastal regions later this afternoon with gusts of 140 km/h occurring anywhere on high ground.

The storm is expected to reach Donegal around 3pm .

Met Éireann forecaster Deirdre Lowe told the Donegal Democrat that it is very difficult to say which counties will be worst affected as “the winds are going to be bad everywhere”.

She added that the winds will be very unstable and cyclonic in the western coastal region, veering westerly.  

Any part of the western coast could be hit by the cyclonic winds as winds remain unstable, she said.

“There is a red alert for all the country. The winds are going to be bad everywhere."