Hurricane Ophelia in Ireland

Hurricane Ophelia has hit Ireland. It is one of the worst storms in more than 50 years that Ireland has faced. It is the most powerful storm this far east of the US on record.

Only 15 hurricanes have passed within 200 nautical miles of the Azores since scientific monitoring began in 1851.

“This one [Hurricane Ophelia] is very unusual in that it has come just slightly westwards but it has taken a direct tack northwards,” Met Éireann forecaster Evelyn Cusack said.

The following regions will be affected:

– From 7am: Coastal areas of counties Cork and Kerry – From 9am: Remaining parts of Munster – From midday: South Leinster and Galway – From 1pm: Dublin and remaining Leinster

There are 900 customers are without power in Cork, about 400 customers in Glengarriff.

Almost all the shops were very busy as people were buying groceries before the storm arrived. People have had to wait for nearly 15-30 minutes in queues.

All the educational institutions and workplaces are shut and the buses in Dublin are not operating between 10 am and 7 pm.

Around 135 flights were canceled.

There have been power cuts in Cork and surrounding areas. Power cuts may also be enforced in Dublin. Make sure that you have your phones and laptops charged sufficiently to keep yourself updated about the weather and the situation.

People can keep themselves updated on The Met Eireann website www.met.ie