Storm Lorenzo has passed, but beware sting in the tail
Lorenzo may have passed, but the public has been cautioned the tail-end of the storm conditions continue to pose dangers, and those in coastal areas have been urged to remain vigilant.
A Status Orange weather warning for Clare, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, and Mayo was extended by three hours to 6am this morning, while the forecast for Cork saw it downgraded to a Status Yellow.
Sea conditions remain dangerous, while fallen trees and debris continue to threaten the safety of those inland.
Gerard O’Flynn, operations manager with the Irish Coast Guard told watersports enthusiasts to “take the day off”.
“I would like to advise people that even though the winds may have abated, the seas will still be quite dangerous and hazardous on the west and northwest coasts,” he said.
“So if people do engage in any type of sports, such as surfing or daily swimming, our advice is have the day off.
“Just have the day off, chill out, don’t be on the coast for the day. If you go in the water, you’re going to risk possibly your own life but also the lives of the emergency services who may have to go rescue you,” Mr O’Flynn said.
The caution came as a woman who was injured in a fall on Inis Meáin on the Aran Islands had to be evacuated yesterday.
Aran Islands RNLI carried out the medical evacuation at the request of the Irish Coast Guard. The volunteer crew launched their all-weather Severn class lifeboat at 9.51am, heading straight to Inis Meáin under coxswain John O’Donnell and a full crew onboard.
Weather conditions at the time were described as having rough seas with a 3.5m swell rising, and a south easterly force 8 wind blowing.
Once the patient was transferred safely aboard under the supervision of the volunteer crew members, the lifeboat headed straight for Rossaveal harbour where she was handed into the care of the awaiting ambulance crew.
Eoin Sherlock, head of Flood Forecasting at Met Éireann, warned that while the Status Orange warning is not as severe as the caution issued during Storm Ophelia, Lorenzo still posed a threat to human life.
“It is an orange warning, and unfortunately, someone did die last year in an orange warning. We have to get the public service message out there,” he said.
Falling trees, in particular, could be a danger.
“The ground is quite saturated, and what that means is there could be issues with trees coming down in the strong winds because they can’t get a grip into the soil,” he said.
The Health and Safety Authority has asked chainsaw owners to leave the removal of trees to experts.
HSA assistant chief executive Mark Cullen, said: “Many owners of chainsaws only use them occasionally and may lack the training, experience, and knowledge required for certain tasks.
“As most trees are still in full leaf, there is a high risk that there will be a significant number of fallen trees and branches as a result of the high winds. Windblown trees are particularly dangerous and unpredictable and should only be dealt with by competent and experienced chainsaw operators,” he said.
Following yesterday’s National Emergency Coordination Group meeting, Superintendent Tom Murphy of An Garda Síochána advised commuters to give themselves extra time heading to work this morning to take into account any overnight damage caused to roads.
The Defence Forces are on standby today, and expect to be called to assist with mobility in flooded areas and to remove obstacles and debris.
