WEATHER WARNING: Batten down the hatches – Hurricane Lorenzo IS coming

By COLIN BARTLEY

HURRICANE Lorenzo will hit Ireland – and it will be “quite ferocious, very dangerous” a Government taskforce has warned.

Lorenzo, the strongest ever storm recorded this far east in the Atlantic at this time of year, is due to hit Ireland’s west coast early tomorrow morning before turning east and making landfall.

By the time it hits Ireland Lorenzo will have been downgraded from a hurricane to an extra tropical storm, but this will make it no less dangerous.

Yesterday evening, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy convened a meeting of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) after it was agreed Lorenzo would hit Ireland.

“Our primary concern is around coastal areas and the very significant storm and wave surges that we are going to see around coastal areas.

“It could be quite ferocious, very dangerous. There is a secondary concern around very strong winds.”

The NECG is worried the strong winds could topple trees and break off branches, making it very dangerous for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Forecasters believe Kilkenny and the South East will not be as badly affected as the West Coast, this was the same assumption when Storm Ophelia hit Ireland two-years ago, yet the South East was one of the worst affected by heavy rains, high winds and strong gusts.

Once Lorenzo hits, the NECG believes it will pass over the country quickly, but its effects will be felt for at least 12 hours.