Experts have explained what caused the weather event and what it could tell us about similar events which may occur in the future.
Several businesses, homes and farms have already been affected by the tumultuous conditions brought on by Storm Éowyn. Meanwhile, a plethora of schools, parks and public transport links have all been suspended today and at least 135 flights have been cancelled at Dublin Airport.
And given that Status Red and Status Orange weather warnings are in place for the duration of Storm Éowyn (which is predicted to be the severest storm Ireland has ever seen, RTÉ reports), it is fair to say that this weather event is one that should not be underestimated. Keith Leonard, the chair of the National Emergency Coordination Group, also warned that the storm is expected to bring winds of 130kph.
Previously, the most dangerous recorded storm in Irish history was Hurricane Debbie, a rare tropical cyclone which rocked Ireland in September 1961. It caused 18 deaths in the Republic of Ireland and six deaths in Northern Ireland.
Dr Nicholas Leach, postdoctoral researcher with the Predictability of Weather and Climate research group at the University of Oxford, explained that storms such as Éowyn typically form along the boundaries between high and low atmospheric temperatures. “In this case, along a cold front in the North Atlantic.
“The cold air behind the front sinks, forcing the warm air to rise. The displacement of the warm air creates a low pressure centre, drawing more air in. Feedbacks from air temperature and humidity gradients further fuel the intensification of the low pressure system and associated high winds and precipitation.”
Dr Eugene Farrell, associate professor in the School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies at the University of Galway, said that Storm Éowyn serves as “another visible piece of evidence that changing ocean climates in the Atlantic have the potential to generate extreme storm and hurricane events”.
Farrell added that rising sea levels and intensified storms are already posing significant threat to the livelihoods of coastal communities in Ireland, and that we have to acknowledge that a sea-level rise of up to 1m is now “locked in” for Ireland, and “will take decades, or even centuries, to stop – even if the EU meets its aim to be climate-neutral by 2050”.
He warned that this has serious implications for the country’s coasts and will increase the rates of “irreversible” shoreline erosion, which in turn will lead to more frequent and severe flooding events.
As regards the specific link between wind storms and climate change, however, more research is needed.
Prof Peter Thorne, who researches physical geography at Maynooth University, said: “The jury is very much out on linking climate change to windstorms. There are vanishingly few studies that have come up with a definitive link on any aspects of windstorms (frequency, intensity) in the midlatitudes.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean that there is no link (absence of evidence is not evidence of absence), but it is important to be honest as to what we don’t know.”
Alert from ESB Networks
According to ESB Networks, the State-owned electricity company, Storm Éowyn has so far affected more than 560,000 homes, farms and businesses as of 6am today (24 January), leaving them without power.
“Even at current numbers, the damage to the electricity network and impact on customers has been unprecedented,” the organisation explained. “ESB Networks continue to closely monitor the storm impact on power supplies and all available resources stand ready to mobilise once safe to do so.”
ESB Networks added that due to the severity of Storm Éowyn, it expects that power restoration will take a “significant” number of days.
“Given the extent of the damage nationwide estimated restoration times (ERTs) will only be provided once our teams have assessed network faults and these will then be available to view throughout Saturday on www.powercheck.ie.”
ESB Networks also said that its customer contact centre agents will aim to support customers throughout Storm Éowyn but stressed that these agents “will not be in a position to provide outage information until the network assessment has been fully conducted”.
In addition, the company issued the following warning regarding the potential presence of fallen wires or damaged electricity networks caused by Storm Éowyn: “Never, ever touch or approach these as they are live and extremely dangerous. Please report any damage to electricity infrastructure by calling 1800 372 999.”
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