Met Éireann has issued a status Orange Wind Warning, Storm Jorge, for Cork from 13.00 on Saturday February 29th until 19.00 on Saturday 29/02/2020. Westerly winds will reach mean speeds of 65 to 80km/h for a time on Saturday afternoon and early evening with gusts of 110 to 120km/h, possibly higher in very exposed areas.
Met Éireann has also issued a Yellow Wind Warning for Cork County from 09.00 on Saturday February 29th until 13.00 and from 19.00 until 23.59 on Saturday February 29th (before and after the Orange Warning). Southwesterly winds of mean speeds 50 to 65km/h on Saturday morning with gusts of 90 to 110km/h expected. Westerly winds of mean speeds 50 to 65km/h on Saturday evening and early Saturday night with gusts of 90 to 110km/h expected.
Met Éireann have also issued a Status Red Marine Gale Warning. Southwest gale force 8 to strong gale force 9 will develop tonight on Irish Coastal Waters from Mizen Head to Slyne Head to Rossan Point. Winds will veer westerly Saturday morning and increase to Storm Force 10 and occasionally Violent Storm Force 11. West to southwest Gale Force 8 to Storm Force 10 winds will extend to all Irish Coastal Waters and the Irish Sea Saturday morning and afternoon.
Cork County Council joined the National Emergency Coordination Group meeting this morning ahead of the arrival of Storm Jorge. The Council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team will convene at 7.30PM this evening in response to this weather warning, river levels and to review preparations. Council response crews have been put on notice and are on standby.
Property owners, residents and visitors are advised to prepare for this dangerous weather event, to protect property, to avoid unnecessary journeys and stay indoors during the warning periods. Members of the public are advised to stay high, stay dry and stay away from the coast, rivers and lakes.
Cork County Council advises road users to be aware of the danger posed by high winds. Driving conditions may be hazardous with surface flooding possible. Motorists are advised to avoid driving through flowing or standing water and to exercise caution during heavy wind and rain. Motorists are also asked to be conscious of cyclists and pedestrians.
Across all parts of Cork County there is a risk of damaging gusts right throughout the warning period of Storm Jorge. Met Éireann have stated that February has recorded the highest rainfall amounts for February ever recorded in parts of Ireland. The ground is saturated and this combined with the high gusts could lead to trees being uprooted.
Issues such as fallen trees and road damage can be reported to the local Council office during working hours (Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.00) or via the emergency number (021) 4800048 outside of these hours.
The strong winds may give rise to localised power outages. In the event of disruption to power supply, please contact ESB Networks at 1850 372 999. Fallen or grounded wires should be avoided and the public are advised call ESB in assisting with the identification of location of fallen wires.
In the event of disruption to water supply, please contact Irish Water at 1850 278 278.
Dursey cable car will not operate once wind speeds exceed 65km/hr. Visitors are advised to check Cork County Council’s social media accounts (@corkcoco) for updates in the event of operations ceasing. Cable car operations will recommence following an inspection by Council staff.
Cork County Council is urging people to pay particular attention to the following:
At Home – Before the Storm
- Tie down loose items outside that cannot be brought in.
- Have a torch, spare batteries and a battery radio ready
- Stay indoors –and keep pets in.
- Clear windowsills and close curtains to protect against flying glass.
- If gas, electricity or water supplies are cut off, contact if possible the relevant services.
- Keep in contact with family and neighbours especially people living alone.
At Home – After the Storm
- As soon as it is safe, rope off or protect damaged areas to prevent injury from falling masonry, roof tiles or broken glass
In the event of an emergency
Call 999 or 112 and request the Fire Service, Ambulance Service, Gardaí or Irish Coastguard as appropriate.
DO NOT assume others will do this.
