The UK and Ireland are bracing for the landfall of Hurricane Ophelia, as the storm makes its way north from the
The weather forecasting service issued a weather warning on Thursday evening ahead of the anticipated extreme weather at the start of next week.
In a statement Met Éireann said “a combination of a vigorous Atlantic weather system and the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia will pass close to Ireland on Monday, and has the potential to be a high-impact event in parts of the country”.
“There is a lot of uncertainty as to the exact evolution and movement of this weather system during the coming four days, but storm-force winds, outbreaks of heavy rain, and very high seas are threatened” the forecasting service said.
“Met Éireann will maintain a close watch on the evolution and issue further advisories and warnings as these are warranted” the statement said.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Met Éireann meteorologist Jean Byrne said it was “very difficult” to track or predict what path the storm would take over the weekend.
United Kingdom Met Office forecaster Alex Burkhill said cold sea temperatures mean Ophelia will not be strong enough to be categorised as a hurricane when it hits Britain.
But he added: “It’s definitely something that we are keeping an eye on, for the possibility of some disruptive weather early next week.”
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has asked road users to exercise caution over the weekend and on Monday during the bad weather.
It warned people to beware of objects being blown onto the road during the windy weather and for drivers to leave extra space between themselves and other road users.
