The public has been reminded that they will be putting themselves and rescue personnel in extreme danger if they go swimming while the Red Warning remains in place.
Storm Éowyn means the weather alert remains in place across much of the country, which means there is a “threat to life” if you venture outside.
Despite this, there are some anecdotal reports that people have decided to ignore the warning and head out for their regular sea swim.
On The Pat Kenny Show, John Draper, who works as Divisional Controller of Valentia’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, said he was shocked by such reports.
“I know conditions up on the east coast certainly aren’t as bad as they are elsewhere,” he said.
“But we have our advisories there for people swimming; we want people to stay away from the coast and all areas there along the coast.
“They’re putting themselves at risk at the end of the day and… for the people who end up having to respond, you’re putting our personnel at risk also.”
A tree in Glasnevin, Dublin after Storm Eowyn. Photograph: Leon Farrell / © RollingNews.ieMr Draper also urged people to ignore any desire to head down to their local beach and see the waves crash onto the shoreline.
That too, could put you in danger.
“You’ve got to take in account those wind warnings there,” he said.
“There’s severe risk there in those areas.”
#StormÉowyn is continuing to impact across the country. ‼️
Remember - during #OrangeWarnings 🟠⚠️ - limit travel to essential only and shelter in place as much as possible.#RedWarnings #OrangeWarnings #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/uOAIbnIzT0
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 24, 2025
Although some 715,000 households and businesses are currently without power, Mr Draper said he and his colleagues have all managed to remain connected.
“We’ve been quite lucky, all our systems have stayed up around the coast,” he said.
“So, our radio networks are all in good stead and phone lines are all in good stead as well.
“All our units are online; coast guard units, helicopter units and also the RNLI and community rescue boats.
“They’re all available.”
The Red Weather Warning expires at 2pm today.
Main image: A stormy Donegal. Picture by: Alamy.com
