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19th Aug 2020

Storm Ellen: She’s coming tonight and here’s everything you need to know

Jade Hayden

Sure, you’d miss a good storm warning, wouldn’t you?

Just kidding, a storm is the last thing we need – what with the increased government restrictions, the ever-climbing Covid-19 cases, and the fact that the world is slowly falling apart, you’d think there wouldn’t be room for any more bad news.

But you’d be wrong, because there’s a storm coming tonight, so you better batten down the hatches… or whatever other clichés people say about storms.

Here’s everything you need to know to keep yourself safe and, most importantly, dry.

So, when is Storm Ellen expected to arrive? 

Storm Ellen is expected to land in Ireland later on tonight (August 19).

Met Éireann issued an orange weather warning for Galway, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Kerry, Cork and Waterford, warning of fast and potentially damaging winds in coastal parts of the country last night.

This has been updated to a red warning for Cork, valid from 9pm to midnight tonight.

Couple that with localised flooding and heavy, heavy rain and you’ve got yourself a very good reason to not leave the gaff this evening.

This weather warning is in effect from 9pm this evening until 12pm tomorrow (August 20). Travel and power disruptions are to be expected.

What about the rest of the country? 

Elsewhere, a yellow wind warning has been issued for the entire country, as the storm is expected to hit the east and midlands… just not as severely.

That warning is in place from 9pm this evening until midnight tomorrow night. Heavy rain and winds are expected across the country with some localised flooding in parts too.

It’s expected that this rain will, as it already has this week, continue on for a bit longer, supplying us with what has to be one of the wettest Augusts in a long time (pure speculation on that one, but it sure feels like it, lads).

Up North, the UK Met Office has also issued a yellow weather warning for all counties, in effect from 8pm tonight until midnight tomorrow.

So, if you happen to have made any socially distant plans, you may want to rethink them.

Or bring a sturdy brolly, whichever.