Donegal County Council is warning against unnecessary travel as Storm Jocelyn hits Ireland.
A a status yellow wind warning is currently in place for Donegal until 5am tomorrow while a status orange wind warning for the county will come into force at 6pm and remain in place until 2am tomorrow.
Very strong southwest to west winds with severe and damaging gusts are expected.
The Council is warning of the potential for very difficult travelling conditions, fallen trees, damage to power lines, damage to already weakened structures and large coastal waves with wave overtopping.
A Status Orange Marine warning is also in place from 4pm this afternoon until 12 noon tomorrow from Slyne Head to Rossan Point to Malin Head with Southwesterly winds veering westerly with a potential to reach storm for 10 with advice to stay away from all coastal areas for the duration of the Met Éireann warnings.
Full Council Statement:
With the onset of Storm Jocelyn, a Yellow Wind warning is in place for Donegal from 12 noon today until 5am tomorrow (Wednesday) bringing very strong and gusty southwest to west winds with potential impacts of difficult travelling conditions, debris and loose objects being displaced and large coastal waves with wave overtopping.
Met Éireann has also advised of a Status Orange Wind warning for Donegal for the period 6pm this evening (Tuesday) to 2am tomorrow (Wednesday) bringing further very strong southwest to west winds with severe and damaging gusts with the following potential impacts:
- Very difficult travelling conditions
- Fallen trees
- Damage to power lines
- Damage to already weakened structures
- Large coastal waves with wave overtopping
A Status Orange Marine warning is also in place from 4pm this evening (Tuesday) to 12 noon tomorrow (Wednesday) from Slyne Head to Rossan Point to Malin Head with Southwesterly winds veering westerly with a potential to reach storm for 10 with advice to stay away from all coastal areas for the duration of the Met Éireann warnings.
During this period of inclement weather, the public are urged to exercise extreme caution and not to travel unless it is absolutely essential. All road users should be aware of the potential for hazardous travelling conditions. Motorists should slow down and be aware of the dangers of fallen trees and debris. High sided vehicles, cyclists and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable during this time.
The impacts of winds associated with Storm Jocelyn could be exacerbated by how close it is coming on the heels of Storm Isha. There is the possibility of further trees falling over the next few days as they may have been weakened by the winds over the weekend and further high winds could bring them down. Landowners are asked to check trees on their land and in particular along their road frontages to see if any remedial action is needed now. Property owners should also check their buildings for structural damage to see if any measures are needed to secure material that may have been impacted by Storm Isha.
Donegal County Council crews are continuing to clean up following the aftermath of Storm Isha.
The public is reminded of the danger of fallen trees as it may be the case that there could be electricity wires tangled up with the tree that will pose a risk to life – contact ESB Networks at 1800 372 999. Use the PowerCheck App to check for reconnection times if your electricity is cut.
Updates on the status of impacts of the storm in your area can be found on DCC’s social media channels. The public can also receive free email and text updates on roads being closed and subsequently being re-opened by signing up to MapAlerter.ie.
Donegal County Council can be contacted during normal business hours on 074 91 53900 and in the event of an out-of-hours emergency the Council’s Road Service/Housing Department can be contacted on 074 91 72288. For emergencies requiring the assistance of the Fire Service call 999 or 112.
