CLARE County Council is asking members of the public to stay indoors and to avoid all travel from 8pm to 11.00pm tonight after Met Éireann issued a red level warning for Clare.
Met Éireann says north-westerly winds, associated with Storm Hannah, will reach mean speeds in excess of 80km/h with violent gusts of 130 to 150 km/h for a time this evening. The most severe winds will gradually ease as the night goes on.
A Status Orange Wind warning for Clare will be in effect from 4pm to 8pm this evening and again from 11pm tonight until 1am tomorrow morning.
The local authority is urging the public not to travel during the red level warning period tonight and says that overnight travel thereafter should only be undertaken if absolutely necessary. Organisers of events taking place in Clare this evening are being advised to postpone events in the interests of public safety due.
Clare County Council’s Crisis Management Team will continue to meet during Friday. Clare County Council crews will commence any clear-up operations once the red level warning period has expired. Motorists are advised to drive with extreme caution during Saturday morning as road debris arising from the storm is expected.
The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience will be closed to the public from 3pm today until tomorrow, Saturday (April 27).
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.