Storm Eowyn Ireland: Met Eireann issues 'Danger to Life' alert as new weather maps show worryingly rare detail

Countless weather experts across Ireland and further afield are warning that Storm Eowyn is set to be the worst storm the country has seen in years.

In its most recent update, Met Eireann has issued a 'Danger to Life' Status Red warning for parts of the country on Friday morning. The extremely rare weather alert applies to counties Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick and is valid between 3am and 10am on Friday.

It lists the following as potential impacts: Danger to life; extremely dangerous travelling conditions; cancellation of events; wave overtopping; coastal flooding in low lying and exposed areas; unsafe working conditions; fallen trees; significant and widespread power outages; structural damage and disruption and cancellations to transport.

Updates are continuing to come in thick and fast and at around breakfast time on Wednesday morning, Ireland's state forecaster, Met Eireann, issued a nationwide Status Orange weather alert for wind.

The warning states that wind gusts of up to 130km/h will occur 'widely' across the country between 2am and 5pm on Friday. The warning also says driving conditions will be "very difficult" and power outages are "likely".

In a worrying turn of events, one Irish weather expert, who is well known for objective and balanced weather updates, stressed the potential danger posed by Storm Eowyn when it makes landfall across Ireland in the early hours of Friday morning.

Alan O'Reilly of online weather service Carlow Weather said: "It's not a good picture - people who have followed me for years will know I don't like to ramp or to be over the top but this is looking like the most significant storm we have seen in years.

"Damaging gusts right across the country - if we look at the high resolution chart it shows the strongest winds into the south west but then moving right across the country. Now, looking at the exact track [the storm will take], it is still a little bit uncertain - the worst of the winds could move up into west rather than the south west but really strong gusts right across the country - over 140km/h possible.

"If we look at Met Eireann's latest Harmonie Ensemble the purple shows how likely it is and [current maps] show the red level winds by 8am or 9am on Friday are likely to be into the south west with orange level winds moving right across the country so expect wind warnings to be issued today by Met Eireann.

"There will also be some very heavy rain - 30mm of rain in parts of the south - it will fall as snow in parts of the west and north west with the north west seeing some significant snowfall for a time on Friday. It will turn to rain but there will be lying snow in parts.

"This storm looks like, in terms of forecasts, the worst storm I have seen in many years so you need to take it seriously. You need to plan for power outages, you need to make sure you heed the weather warnings that are going to be issued. Stay up to date - this could change either way but the weather models have been pretty consistent in terms of the tracking and the intensity so as I say, a significant storm with winds damaging right across the country and significant power outages very, very likely," he added.

Elsewhere, UK based weather expert Paul Blight, echoed Carlow Weather's sense of alarm.

"I don't use this language lightly. Storm Eowyn is going to be very dangerous and it is highly likely that Danger to Life warnings will be issued by the UK Met Office and Met Eireann," wrote Paul on X.

"There will be widespread issues with power, infrastructure and communications across a broad area covered by Ireland, West/North Wales, Northern England, Borders, Irish Sea & the Isle of Man."

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