Storm Floris Spares Ireland Worst, Power Restored

Thousands Reconnected After Gusty Winds Hit West and Northwest

The disruptive force of Storm Floris has largely passed over Ireland, with most electricity customers regaining power after early morning outages. Yellow wind warnings have now been lifted across the Republic, though they persist in Northern Ireland.

Winds Moderate as Storm Moves North

Ireland avoided the most severe impacts of the unseasonably strong winds after Storm Floris made landfall overnight, subsequently tracking north towards Scotland. Met Éireann reported median wind speeds reaching up to 70km/h during the storm’s peak, with a top gust of approximately 90km/h recorded in Mace Head, Galway.

At its worst, the storm left around 10,000 homes and businesses without electricity. However, ESB Networks teams worked diligently to restore supply, with only 2,700 customers still disconnected as of 5pm on Monday.

Impact Deemed ‘Modest’

An ESB spokesperson characterized Storm Floris’s impact as “modest,” confirming that crews were deployed to affected regions to address outages. The public was cautioned about the dangers of approaching any downed wires or damaged infrastructure, which could be “extremely dangerous.”

Status Yellow wind warnings for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, and Sligo were removed at 4pm, and similar advisories for the west and northwest have also expired. However, yellow warnings remain active for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Derry.

Travel Largely Unaffected

Dublin Airport reported minimal disruption to its operations, although Emerald Airlines cancelled a limited number of flights to the UK. In Northern Ireland, several flights also faced cancellation, and travellers booked to depart from airports in the North are advised to contact their airlines for the latest updates.

Storm Expected to Intensify Over Scotland

Met Éireann’s senior forecaster, **Gerry Murphy**, described the storm as largely within the expected parameters of a Yellow level warning, calling it “a relatively small weather event” in the broader context.

“The storm intensified at sea as it moved north and winds could reach well in excess of 100km per hour in Scotland later today.”

—Met Éireann

Looking ahead, Met Éireann forecasts a largely dry Tuesday with sunny spells. Scattered showers are expected, primarily in northern areas, with temperatures ranging from 15 degrees Celsius in the north to 21 degrees further south. Winds are expected to be moderate to fresh from the west to northwest, later decreasing.

The resilience of infrastructure has been tested by recent weather events. For instance, a severe thunderstorm in Texas on April 24th, 2024, caused widespread power outages affecting over 100,000 residents, highlighting the ongoing challenges of weather-related disruptions (KXAN, 2024).