Laois council on alert for Storm Ashley hit

Laois County Council and other local authorities around Ireland have been put on standby to respond to Storm Ashley's damage.

Staff at County Hall in Portlaoise are monitoring the situation with local agencies and the National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM), Met Eireann and various other stakeholders with plans at the ready to respond.

Laois County Council warned the public to be ready for strong winds that make driving conditions hazardous, especially for the more vulnerable road users, e.g., cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and high sided vehicles. It says road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris as trees are in full leaf.

The council's also says the storm may bring localised heavy showers, which in turn may lead to surface flooding. The council urges people to never drive through flooded roads, the depth of the water can be deceiving

The local authorty asks people to prepare for the arrival of the storm including ensuring their mobile phone is fully charged to enable communication.

Paul McLoughlin is the acting Director of Services in the Council's roads section. He confirmed that the council took part in the national preparedness meeting.

"The biggest impact in County Laois is likely to be wind with gusts of up to 80kph, which will give rise to some fallen trees, difficult driving conditions and people should exercise caution," he said.

The NDFEM met on Friday, October 18 after Met Éireann officially named the Atlantic storm to discuss the warnings in place for Storm Ashley. A statement said NDFEM will continue to liaise with Met Eireann and is monitoring the situation.

"Local Authority Severe Weather Assessment Teams (SWATs) will continue to monitor conditions locally and Local Authorities have their emergency response teams in place, ready to respond where and when necessary," said a statement issued on behalf of the emergency tasforce by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Met Éireann expects the worst of Storm Ashley on Sunday when it will impact in two waves of bad weather. 

Keith Leonard is the National Director of the NDFEM team. MORE BELOW WEATHER CHART.

“I would urge the public to stay away from coastal areas during this period and to heed the appeal from the Irish Coast Guard for people to ‘Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry’. 

“Also, dangerous travelling conditions are possible and road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris as trees are in full leaf. There is a potential for tidal flooding in coastal areas, especially in Southern and Western counties. In addition to this, heavy persistent showers are expected, which in turn may lead to surface flooding in urban locations,” he said.

Met Éireann warnings in place FRIDAY:

• Status Orange – Wind warning for Galway and Mayo
• Valid: Sunday 20 October, noon-9pm
• Status Yellow – Wind warning for entire country
• Valid: Sunday 20 October, 10am – midnight

Met Éirean says the warnings will update through the weekend and urges the public to monitor its forecasts for changes.

WATCH LIVE: Follow Storm ASHLEY as it hits Ireland #STORMASHLEY

Storm Lillian on windy.com weather tracker

 

Further public safety advice from the NDFEM includes:

People are advised to prepare for the arrival of the storm including ensuring their mobile phone is fully charged to enable communication.

Never drive through flooded roads, the depth of the water can be deceiving

Monitor Met Éireann forecasts and / or visit www.met.ie for the most up to date information. Information is available across social media platforms and other news media sources.

ESB Networks is highlighting the dangers posed by fallen live wires and is advising the public and the emergency services to stay away from these fallen cables and to report such cases to it immediately. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1800 372 999.

The public can monitor www.PowerCheck.ie regarding power restoration times.