All schools in Northern Ireland have been advised to close on Friday, January 24, due to impact likely to be caused by Storm Éowyn.
The Met Office has issued a red alert, which covers all of Northern Ireland from 7am on Friday until 2pm and is warning of “very dangerous conditions” and “widespread disruption”.
Education Minister Paul Givan said: “A red weather warning has been issued for Storm Éowyn and the Education Authority has advised that all schools should close tomorrow.
“I understand this will impact on the work of schools and indeed on other businesses and services, but the decision has been taken to avoid any potential risk to life for children and young people as well as staff. Schools should put plans in place today for remote learning so that pupils can study at home.”
Meanwhile, multi-agency preparations are underway to respond to any impacts as a result of Storm Éowyn, following a rare Met Office red warning for strong winds.
The Department for Infrastructure’s roads and rivers teams have been checking and clearing road gullies and other drainage and infrastructure and have additional staff on standby to respond to incidents.
Monitoring of river levels and sea levels has been ongoing and will continue until the weather warning has elapsed.
Regional Community Resilience Groups have also been advised of weather patterns and to make appropriate preparations.
The strong winds could lead to power cuts, damage to buildings, fallen trees, spray or large waves on exposed and vulnerable coastal areas, as well as disruption to travel including public transport, ferries and flights. Rain and snow associated with Storm Éowyn is also expected in the early hours of Friday, which could lead to surface water forming by morning.
Due to the potential for large waves, flooding of coastal roads is also possible.
Traffic disruption is possible so please plan ahead, stay up to date with the latest weather and travel advice. Advice and information on the current weather warnings is available at: Strong winds weather warning – information and advice.
It may be necessary to close some roads or put temporary restrictions in place. Road users are reminded to adhere to road signs and any temporary traffic lights. Remember to reduce your speed, stay well behind the vehicle in front, remain focused and always wear your seatbelt and never drive through flood water.
Traffic information can be found at: TrafficWatchNI
You can report an obstruction at: Report an obstruction on a road or street | nidirect or call the 24-hour number on 0300 200 7899.
To report incidents of flooding, please contact the flooding incident line on 0300 2000 100. Calls taken by the incident line staff are passed to the relevant responding Agency.
The power of water is often on show during a storm as waves crash against harbour walls, piers and cliffs. It looks spectacular but surges can easily sweep a person off their feet. All it takes is one wave to drag you out to sea – a dramatic photograph or selfie is not worth risking your life. If you see someone get carried away by a wave, call 999 and ask for Coastguard.
NIE Networks is reminding the public to stay clear of any damaged electricity equipment and report it immediately to the Customer Helpline on 03457 643 643. Members of the public should never approach a broken pole or electricity line.
Should customers experience a power cut they can check for updates at Powercheck NI (powercheck.nienetworks.co.uk) and report the fault online or call the NIE Networks Customer Helpline on 03457 643 643.
Translink advises passengers to check its Journey Planner or Translink social media channels in advance of travel, and to allow extra time for their journeys.
