National: Public urged to heed safety warnings as Storm Betty batters the country

MEMBERS of the public are being urged to heed safety warnings and to exercise caution this Friday night and Saturday morning as Storm Betty passes over most of the country.  

The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management Crisis Management Team, has been liaising with Met Éireann regarding the current forecasted weather period which has seen a number of status orange and status yellow warnings being issued.

Ahead of the arrival of Storm Betty, Met Éireann briefed all local authority severe weather assessment teams, Government departments and all relevant agencies. 

High winds, particularly across Southern areas, are being forecast and rainfall levels of 40mm could be experienced across the country with the potential for over 60mm in some areas.

A status orange rain warning for seven counties - Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Tipperary and Waterford -  came into effect at lunchtime this Friday and remains in place until 11pm.

#StormBetty is on the way ⚠️⚠️

Orange level winds over land and red level storm winds at sea are expected from 21:00

Potential Impacts:
• Falling trees
• Travel disruption.
• Power outages.
• Localised flooding
• Wave overtopping.

Stay Updated ⬇️https://t.co/Xg3aMJlyuS pic.twitter.com/7x9cfqGeEG

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) August 18, 2023

Met Éireann said there will be heavy rain with thundery downpours, combined with very strong winds on coasts at times.

A separate status orange wind warning for the same counties will be in effect from 9pm until 3am on Saturday while status yellow warnings have been issued for every other county. 

Met Éireann says Storm Betty will bring gales with severe gusts of up to 130km/h with the potential for structural damage, falling trees, travel disruption, power outages and localised and coastal flooding.

Local authorities, who are the lead agency for the response to severe weather events have activated their Crisis Management Teams and Local Coordination Groups in preparation for the arrival of Storm Betty. Relevant Departments and Agencies also are preparing to support local authorities responding to Storm Betty. 

Key Public Safety and Information Messages

The public are advised to monitor Met Éireann forecasts during this period and to stay away from coastal areas during this period. The Irish Coast Guard are appealing to people to “Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry”. 

Met Eireann has issued several weather warnings for land and sea. If you are planning any water based or coastal activities, please check the weather carefully at https://t.co/CZSJf75MEM and consider if the conditions are suitable. Storm Warning in forcehttps://t.co/lYbIrUYNCd pic.twitter.com/Eh7rBz3N2Z

— Irish Coast Guard (@IrishCoastGuard) August 18, 2023

Very strong winds are predicted which will make driving conditions hazardous, especially for the more vulnerable road users, e.g., cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and high sided vehicles. Road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris as trees are in full leaf.

The storm may also bring localised heavy showers, which in turn may lead to surface flooding in urban locations. 

People should be extra vigilant and aware of the risk potentially posed by trees in high wind events. The most widespread and potentially dangerous consequence of high wind is the risk of trees breaking/falling, possibly bringing down live power lines, posing a danger to motorists and pedestrians in the vicinity. 

⚠️ Orange and Yellow Weather Warnings ⚠️
Read travelling advice from the RSA of today’s weather warnings for #StormBetty
https://t.co/P8gfEyEyQB#RoadSafety #VisionZero pic.twitter.com/XdZGbng8U3

— RSA Ireland (@RSAIreland) August 18, 2023

People are advised to prepare for the arrival of the storm including ensuring their mobile phone is fully charged to enable communication.  

The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management says it will continue to liaise with Met Éireann during this developing situation.