Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IRELAND IS BRACED for the arrival of Storm Barra, which is due to arrive on our shores today.
The storm is set to bring high winds and heavy rainfall across the country, with some counties also expecting flooding in coastal areas.
Met Éireann has issued several wind and rain warnings across several counties while Taoiseach Michéal Martin said yesterday that some warnings may be upgraded as the storm draws nearer.
As we await Storm Barra’s imminent arrival, here’s everything you need to know.
What weather warnings are in place?
A Status Red wind warning for counties Cork, Clare and Kerry will be in place from 6am this morning until 9pm this evening.
Met Éireann said that coastal flooding is expected in these two counties due to a combination of high waves, storm surge and high tide, which will also likely cause disruptions to power and travel.
🚨#StormBarra will bring disruptive weather to Ireland on Tuesday and Wednesday, with impacts from severe, damaging winds 🌬️ as well as heavy rain 🌧️ 🚨#Wind and #rain warnings are in place across Ireland ⚠️
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) December 6, 2021
Read more in our #StormBarra news story ℹ️📰 https://t.co/jZZxcE5Nup pic.twitter.com/46Ae3iyOTb
A Status Orange wind warning will be in place from today until tomorrow in Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Mayo and Wexford.
Winds are expected to reach mean speeds of 65 to 80 km/hr, with severe or damaging gusts expected to reach up to 130 km/hr.
There is also a Status Orange wind warning in place for Dublin, Louth, Wicklow and east Meath until 1pm today.
A Status Yellow wind and rain warning is in place nationwide from today until 6pm tomorrow.
With dangerous conditions expected at sea, there are also several marine warnings in place along all Irish coasts.
A Status Red storm warning is in place from Roche’s Point to Valentia to Erris Head from 7am today until midnight.
A Status Orange storm warning is also in place from Erris Head to Strangford Lough to Roche’s Point and on the Irish Sea. This will be in place until midnight.
There is also a Status Yellow gale warning from Roche’s Point to Valentia to Erris Head.
What has been impacted by the storm?
Schools, colleges and creches in Red and Orange warning areas will not open today following advice from Government.
The Department of Education yesterday advised all schools in the areas covered by the red and orange warnings not to open due to the approaching storm.
A statement from the department said: “Due to the significant nature of Storm Barra, as forecast by Met Éireann and to give sufficient notice to schools and parents/guardians, the Department is advising that all schools covered by the Red Alert and Orange warning from Met Éireann should not open tomorrow, 7 December.”
All schools should keep up-to-date with the current weather warnings which are carried on all national and local news bulletins and in particular any change in the status warning for their area.
The Department of Higher Education advised all universities, colleges and further education facilities covered by the Red and Orange wind warnings not to open today, while the Department of Children said that all early learning and care and school-age childcare services should also shut.
The HSE has closed services and cancelled appointments in several counties because of the storm.
Covid-19 vaccination centres in Clare, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo will not be operating.
Test centres in Cork and Kerry are also cancelled along with BreastCheck appointments in Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.
Aldi said yesterday that is to shut its Clare, Cork and Kerry stores ahead of the storm.
An spokesperson for the supermarket chain said: “Due to the Status Red weather warning, our stores in Cork and Kerry will be closed throughout Tuesday, while our stores in Clare will be closed from 3pm on Tuesday and reopen at 9am Wednesday. We are monitoring the weather situation closely and if there are any changes we will communicate this.”
“The health and safety of all our customers and store teams is our priority.”
AIB has said that its branches in Cork, Clare and Kerry will remain closed today due to the storm. It also said that its Abbeyfeale branch will also remain closed as staff working there are travelling from impacted locations.
The Courts Service also confirmed that Courts in Kerry, Cork, Clare and Newcastle West are “cancelled to future dates”.
Racing has also been impacted by the storm. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, in conjunction with Horse Racing Ireland, confirmed yesterday that racing fixtures scheduled for today in Tramore have been postponed until Thursday 9 December.
It said in a statement: “Following consultation with Met Eireann and various stakeholders and in light of the weather forecast which currently has a Status Red and Status Orange weather warning in place for parts of Ireland, the fixture scheduled for Tramore on Tuesday 7 December has been postponed.”
Have transport services been impacted?
A number of flights arriving and departing from Cork Airport today have been cancelled.
A spokesperson for Shannon Airport told The Journal that there have been no confirmed flight cancellations yet, and that they are awaiting direction from their airline customers.
However, they said that due to the Status Red weather warning in place in Clare, “we strongly advise intending passengers to check with their airline before travelling to the airport. Flight information will be posted on all Shannon Airport social media platforms and the airport website as it becomes available.”
All flights to and from Dublin Airport are operating as normal, but the DAA has also advised all passengers to check their flight status in advance of travel with their airline and to allow extra time for journeys to and from the airport today.
Shannon Ferries has cancelled all sailings for today due to the impending storm.
Due to Storm Barra and in the interest of safety all sailings are cancelled on Tuesday, 7th December 2021. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. @ClareFM @radiokerrynews @aaroadwatch @SPINSouthWest @Live95fmNews @ClareCoCo @countykerry @LimerickCounty
— Shannon Ferries (@ShannonFerries) December 6, 2021
Irish Ferries has also cancelled a number of services due to the adverse weather conditions.
The 2.30pm service from Dublin to Holyhead on its Epsilon ship is in doubt, while both the 8.15am and 8.15pm service from Holyhead to Dublin have been cancelled.
However, they said that passengers can be accommodated on their M.V.Ulysses, which is still in operation.
All services from Rosslare to Pembroke have been cancelled for today. The 2.45am service from Pembroke to Rosslare on Wednesday has also been cancelled.
Stena Line has cancelled the 7.30am and 6.15pm service from Rosslare to Fishguard.
The 2.45pm service from Dublin to Holyhead “may be subject to delay” due to the weather. The 9am service from Holyhead to Dublin will now depart at 8.30am.
What have other authorities said?
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is advising road users in areas affected by the Status Red warning to avoid any travel during the storm window.
Those in areas affected by the Status Orange warnings are being asked to consider postponing their journey until the storm has passed.
The RSA said all road users to be aware of the dangers once the storm has passed, as they may encounter potentially hazardous road conditions such as flooded roads and downed lines, trees and other debris which could block roads.
#StormBarra
— RSA Ireland (@RSAIreland) December 6, 2021
Advice to Pedestrians, Cyclists and motorcyclists🧵
📰https://t.co/wANbEfcuIl
🏠In areas affected by Orange Weather Warnings you should consider postponing your journey until conditions improve.
Pedestrians are advised to wear bright clothing with reflective armbands or a reflective belt and to take extra care when crossing the road or cycling in extremely windy conditions.
Cyclists should ensure that they and their bike are visible to other road users by investing in a good set of front and rear lights and by wearing bright and light reflective clothing.
The Irish Coast Guard is appealing to all mariners and coastal communities to be mindful of the severe weather warnings.
Walkers are advised to avoid any exposed areas, including seafront and cliff walkways, while all forms of open water recreation should be avoided, including by experienced practitioners, as it may result in arousing public concerns and causing rescue services to be alerted.
Coast Guard Operations Manager Micheál O’Toole appealed to the public to remain vigilant, to avoid any unnecessary travel and to monitor Met Éireann weather forecasts, saying: “Stay back, Stay high, Stay dry.”
“If you see somebody in trouble on the water or on the coast, dial 112 or use marine VHF channel 16, and ask for the Coast Guard,” he said.
Yesterday, the National Emergency Coordination group conducted a virtual meeting with Met Éireann, the Office of Public Works, local authority severe weather assessment teams and government departments and agencies.
The Department said all local authorities have activated their crisis management teams and local coordination groups, while coastal flood defences are being put in place.
They also said that ESB Networks are ready to mobilise responses to restore power once the impact of the storm is known, while the Powercheck app will enable users to gather updates on estimated restoration times and safety regarding fallen lines.
An Garda Síochána is also appealing to the public to take care and exercise caution once the storm hits.
The key public safety advice from Gardaí is as follows:
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The foods bland and its expensive, not a winning formula.
It’s also incredibly unhealthy.
Not only that, it tastes delicious.
If going down the fast food route then I’d definitely do one of those Italian choppers -Borza, Macaris etc. Failing that I’d have Burger King before McD’s!
People who like to go on and on about not owning a television also don’t go to these places.
I stopping going to MacDonald’s several years ago even though I like their food. I just got tired of how they treat the communities they operate in, bullying their way through local planning laws, suing anyone who stands up to them, marketing directly to schools and kids sporting clubs.
‘modern, progressive burger company’
Yep
I think all chain food is crap: McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Supermacs and Costa Coffee etc.
Costa and Starbucks have the worst coffee. Complete muck.
Uh huh. Costa coffee is bitter shite. Starbucks a grade or two better.
Hold on, you’re telling me that Starbucks sell coffee now?
Insomnia is decent though…
How can anyone even taste coffee with the amount of sugar, milk and general muck added to it?
McDonalds do great coffe
Now, I think it’s the other way round! Costa at least have nice cups and good cakes. Chacun à son goût!
They do, Thomas and it’s cheap as chips!
Mac Cac. Chomh blasta le himeall mo thóna!
I honestly don’t get why people eat in McDonalds! The food doesn’t fill you. You’d nearly need to eat the entire menu to feel full after it. Everything on the menu tastes like syrup dipped in vinegar (except the drinks which just taste like syrup). And it has no nutritional value. I get that people like to get the odd bit of fast food (and I do like a good Italian chipper), but why go for something that tastes disgusting, offers no nutritional value and leaves you starving 15 minutes later?
They give you a toy with the Happy Meal :)
It’s that long since I ate in a McDonalds that I had entirely forgotten about Happy Meals. Still, that’s hardly an incentive for me! Oh this talk of food is making me hungry! I think I’ll have a nice half-pounder with cheese, chips, onion rings and a battered sausage tonight! :)
Ronald will qualify for job seekers allowance so no sweat
You put one scabby gherkin in your budgets, what do you expect? Never mind the chips that never go off and the nuggets made of slime and ammonia. And what happened to the turd burglar? Did he die? Oh wait, that was burger king.
‘Our’ Supermacs are mad expensive and portuons are scabby aswell. My local chipper does a fresh fillet chicken burger, with all the dressing, large chips (that would feed two people) and two cans of coke etc for 7.20 euro.
Supermacs the other night My order was one Chicken Breast Sandwich Meal and one small chips (both portions were tiny) and it came to 10 euro 40 cent!!!
Im not a big fast food eater but appreciate the price difference.
Not sure how it is in Ireland now but in Germany at least Burger King here has veggie options and other alternatives to the traditional “burger and fries” fast food menu. I had McDonalds a few weeks ago for the first time in years and it was so bland. I’d much rather spend another euro or two and get a healthy, filling meal somewhere else.
As a kid Coming from the country always Thoght it was suppose like a magical place. first time i went was in.Dublin when i was 16. Your local chipper is much more fulfilling
A prerequisite for any restaurant should be that they serve food. McDonalds doesn’t qualify. I’d take my chances with a 20 a day habit sooner.
Janey Mac that’s bad.
It’s muck and it treats its staff the same way so good luck to it.
I’d rather eat the packaging the food comes in
MacDonalds can be a handy quick bite to eat. The thing that gets me with them the last 10 yrs or so is that when you place your order they wait for the money rather than go get it while you sort it. This leads to longer cue’s .
If you’re going to eat that crap, here’s a suggestion have the right amount in your hand.
I hear they put the prices on their menu display ‘ s.
Give me super macs any day
Lose the clown,. He sure is scary, more suited to a Stephen King novel.
I love the irony in their sponsorship of the Olympics.
I eat it every now & then as a teenager, if I was out shopping with friends stopped when I Sussed mcds= headache. Total muck.
Cannot understand how i get thumbs down while something as ridiculous as a hambuglar gets a thumbs up…..
Shanghai Husi are OSI, an American company who supply McDonalds worldwide. They are one of many Western companies who think they can act like complete cowboys in Asia to cut corners and maximize profit.
Well they would definitely have more of my business if the Big Tasty was always on the menu. Mmmmm :)
There are absolutely no stereotypical Irish comments at all here.
Not one person is begrudging the success of anyone else.
This is a good news story, even for a fast food joint the whole place mings something awful
have your say