Risk to life as Status Red Weather Warning issued for parts of Ireland for Storm Atiyah

Met Eireann has upgraded its Weather Warning for Storm Atiyah to Red for parts of the country.

The Status Red Wind Warning is in place for Kerry. West to southwest winds veering northwest will reach mean speeds in excess of 80km/h with gusts in excess of 130km/h for a time this evening. Extreme caution is advised, especially near the coast and on high ground. Due to a combination of high seas and storm surge there is a possibility of coastal flooding. This warning is valid for 4pm on Sunday until 7pm on Sunday

Met Eireann says that a Status Red Warning means people should protect themselves and/or their properties. This could be by moving their families out of the danger zone temporarily, by staying indoors; or by other specific actions aimed at mitigating the effects of the weather conditions.

Status Red - Wind warning issued for Kerry.
Valid from 16:00 Sun 08-Dec-2019 until 19:00 Sun 08-Dec-2019 pic.twitter.com/IfaASSWGJk

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) December 8, 2019

A Status Orange Wind warning is in place for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick. Storm Atiyah will track between Iceland and Ireland on Sunday, generating very strong winds across the country. Southwesterly winds, later veering northwesterly, will reach mean speeds between 65 and 80 km/h with gusts between 110 and 130km/h, possibly higher in exposed coastal areas. Due to a combination of high seas and storm surge there is a possibility of coastal flooding. This warning is in place from 1pm on Sunday until 6am on Monday.

A Status Yellow Wind Warning is in place for Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tipperary and Waterford. Southwesterly winds, later veering northwesterly, will reach mean speeds between 50 and 65km/h with gusts between 90 and 110km/h. This warning is in place from 1pm on Sunday until 6am on Monday.