Met Éireann downgrades Storm Éowyn to Status Yellow in Laois but hazards remain

Met Éireann has downgraded its Storm Éowyn weather warn to a Status Yellow level as the county recovers from the historic storm that has hit the country.

The forecaster moved Laois and neighbouring counties from Status Orange to Status Yellow at sooner than expected as winds slackened in the county.

The Status Red wind warning ended in Laois at 11am with a Status Orange alert due to last to 4pm on Friday. However, the forecaster soon changed this Status Yellow to run to 4pm.

The Status Yellow Storm Éowyn wind alert warns of strong to near gale force westerly winds with further damaging gusts.

It says the possible impacts are:

• Hazardous travelling conditions
• Damage to already weakened structures
• Fallen trees

A clean up is still underway in Laois in the wake of the storm which left thousands without power around the county overnight and into the morning. A record 700,000 were left without power nationally.

Laois County Council crews began responding to storm damage after the Status Red alert was lifted in Laois under the direction of a multi-agency severe weather alert team in County Hall.

The Council warns of multiple hazards on streets, roads, and footpaths. It asks public to report any incidents to the Council’s Emergency Hotline Number 1800 832010. Emergency calls should be directed to 999 or 112, in the normal way.

Met Éireann says low pressure will continue to dominate for the rest of the weekend and for the first half of next week, with further spells of wet and windy weather. However high pressure is likely to bring some drier weather at least for a time later in the week. 

MET ÉIREANN National Forecast issued at 11am on Friday, January 24.

Friday: Storm Eowyn will bring gale to storm force southwest to west winds for a time yet today, with destructive and damaging gusts. Violent storm force to hurricane force winds will occur for a time too in coastal areas of the west and north. While the winds will gradually abate from the south, it will remain very windy in northern areas until evening time. Sunny spells and scattered squally showers will follow this afternoon, merging to longer spells of rain in the north with hail and local lightning. Highest afternoon temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees but feeling much colder due to wind-chill.

Southwest to west winds will moderate tonight. Winds will decrease light southerly or variable with frost and icy patches setting in. Scattered showers will follow, especially across west and north areas, some of hail, sleet and snow, mainly confined to northwest areas later with long clear spells developing. Cold with lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees.

Saturday: Saturday will be begin cold and crisp with frost and icy patches. Early sunshine will be replaced by cloudier skies, as showery rain moves in from the Atlantic during the afternoon and early evening. Some hail is expected with isolated thunderstorms. A rather cold day with highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees. Southerly winds will freshen through the day too.

Saturday night will be cold with clear spells and scattered showers for a time, some wintry. The showers will mainly be in the west and north early on in the night. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees generally, with some frost and ice. Southerly winds will be mostly light to moderate, backing southeasterly later in the night and increasing fresh to strong in coastal parts of the south and southwest. Cloud will start to increase overnight, with rain moving into southwestern coastal parts by morning.

Sunday: It'll become wet and windy on Sunday, with a band of rain gradually spreading northeastwards through the morning and afternoon, some of it heavy and possibly thundery. The rain will clear northeastwards later, but scattered showers will follow and with more persistent and heavy rain likely to move into the south and southeast in the evening. Highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees in strong and gusty southeasterly winds, reaching gale force for a time in some coastal parts, decreasing mostly moderate southerly away from the west coast later in the day.

Sunday night will bring the chance of some persistent rain for a time to parts of the south and east, otherwise there'll be a mix of clear spells and scattered showers, these mainly in the west and south, some heavy and possibly thundery. Lowest temperatures of 1 degrees in the north to 6 degrees in the south and southwest in mostly moderate southerly winds, but winds will be strong to near gale force in coastal parts of the south and west.

Monday: Rather windy with showers or longer spells of rain, some of it heavy with the chance of some isolated thunderstorms. There'll be some dry and bright spells at times too. Highest temperatures of 4 to 9 degrees in fresh to strong and gusty southerly winds, reaching near gale to gale force in some coastal parts of the south and west.

Monday night will bring some clear spells but further showers or longer spells of rain too. Lowest temperatures of 2 to 7 degrees with winds becoming cyclonic variable for a time and later becoming mostly moderate to fresh northwesterly.

Tuesday: Blustery day with sunshine and scattered showers too and the chance of a longer spell of rain in the north. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees in fresh to strong and gusty west to northwest winds, reaching near gale force in coastal parts of the west and northwest.

Some rain is likely near the north coast on Tuesday night with rain moving into parts of the south and west too. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 5 degrees with the chance of some frost under any clearer skies as winds will be easing.

Wednesday: Sunshine and some scattered showers, mainly to the north and west and with the chance of a more persistent spell of rain near the south coast. Highest temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees with winds becoming moderate to fresh northwest to north.

Thursday: Likely to be a mainly dry bright settled day with sunshine and light winds. Highest temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees.