Storm Ashley live updates: Ireland braces for storm with seven western counties under orange warning

• Storm Ashley is forecast to bring winds which, along with spring tides, may cause coastal flooding
• A status orange wind warning is in place or counties Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal until 9pm.  A separate status yellow wind warning is in effect for most of Ireland until 3am tomorrow
• Met Éireann has warned of difficult travelling conditions and damage to power lines and to already weakened structures
• There is already damage to powerlines with ESB Network’s fault map showing outages in Clare, Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, Galway, Mayo, Donegal and further afield
• Marine warnings for storms and gales are in place around the country, with the west coast, from Malin Head to Valentia, under orange warnings.

Warning expanded in North

The UK Met Office, which issues alerts for Northern Ireland, has increased the level of the warning to “amber”, its equivalent of orange, in four counties.

Antrim, Derry, Fermanagh and Tyrone are now affected by amber wind warnings, while the rest of Northern Ireland is covered by a yellow warning.

The forecaster urged drivers to be cautious and people in coastal areas to be cautious.

“Stay indoors as much as possible,” its advice reads. “If you do go out, try not to walk, or shelter, close to buildings and trees. In advance of high winds, check for loose items outside your home and secure them. Items include; bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences.”

Travel disruption

A small number of flights were cancelled this morning from Dublin Airport amid adverse weather conditions.

Flights to the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium were cancelled before 8am, while a number of others faced significant delays. Aer Lingus said it was “aware of potential disruption” due to the storm and offered a status checker on its website.

Further delays could follow as the main body of the storm reaches the capital in the afternoon.

Irish Rail warned that fallen leaves could cause low track adhesion, leading to expected delays.

Road users have meanwhile been warned to avoid coastal areas.

“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,” Keith Leonard, national director for the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, added.

Carlow Weather, a long-time Irish meteorological commentator, warned that the current lull after the first wave of rain was forecast and that more danger is to come: remember that the orange warnings only kick in at 10am.

Power outages in southern and western counties

Hundreds of people awoke without power in the south and west of the State on Saturday, with ESB Network’s fault map showing outages in Clare, Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, Galway, Mayo, Donegal and further afield.

In Mayo, 112 people were without power in Westport, while more than 300 were without power in Ardnaree, according to ESB Powercheck.

In Limerick, over 600 faced a fault around Foynes, while in Cork, Midleton, Mallow and Castlelyons were among the places affected.

Storm Ashley is the first named storm of the season, which runs from September to September.

The low-pressure system developed in the western North Atlantic on the southern side of the jet stream, Met Éireann said in its commentary.

Travelling across the Atlantic and crossing to the northern side of the jet stream, it was expected to undergo rapid deepening late on Saturday.

It comes at a problematic time, with tides already high.

“We are currently in a period of exceptionally high spring tides, and this, tied in with the strong winds and high waves, will substantially increase the risk of coastal flooding, especially along Atlantic coasts,” meteorologist Liz Walsh said.

A number of coastal roads and amenities were closed in Galway in advance of expected coastal flooding risk this morning.

The high tide coincided with the storm from 6.30am to 8.30am, and will do so again from 6.30pm.

From 10pm on Saturday night, Salthill Prom from Seapoint mini-roundabout to Galway Business School and Grattan Road from Seapoint Road to Claddagh Quay junction with Fr Griffin Road were closed.

The Dock Road, including Spanish Arch, Merchants Road and Wolfetone Bridge, was also closed overnight.