Ex-Hurricane Ophelia
16 October - 17 October 2017 - Ex-Hurricane Ophelia impacted the British Isles bringing gusts of up to 90 mph.
Ex-hurricane Ophelia (named by the US National Hurricane Center) was the second storm of the 2017/2018 winter season, following Storm Aileen on 12 to 13 September. The strongest winds were around Irish Sea coasts, particularly west Wales, with gusts of 70 to 80 mph or higher in exposed coastal locations.
Location | Region | Gust speed (mph) |
---|---|---|
Capel Curig | Gwynedd | 90 |
Aberdaron | Gwynedd | 90 |
RAF Valley | Anglesey | 81 |
Mumbles Head | West Glamorgan | 79 |
Ronaldsway | Isle of Man | 78 |
Mona | Anglesey | 77 |
Location | Region | Gust speed (mph) |
---|---|---|
Roches Point | Cork | 97 |
Sherkin Island | Cork | 84 |
Cork Airport | Cork | 78 |
Shannon Airport | Clare | 76 |
Ex-Hurricane Ophelia impacts
The most severe impacts were across the Republic of Ireland, where three people died from falling trees (still mostly in full leaf at this time of year). There was also significant disruption across western parts of the UK, with power cuts affecting thousands of homes and businesses in Wales and Northern Ireland, and damage reported to a stadium roof in Barrow, Cumbria.
Flights from Manchester and Edinburgh to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were cancelled, and in Wales some roads and railway lines were closed. Ferry services between Wales and Ireland were also disrupted.