Limerick council convenes Severe Weather Assessment Team as Storm Callum approaches

LIMERICK City and County Council has convened its Severe Weather Assessment Team (SWAT) ahead of the arrival of Storm Callum.

A status yellow wind warning for Limerick, which has been issued by Met Éireann, takes effect from midnight and will remain in place until 9am on Friday.

Status Orange weather warnings have been issued for 13 counties which are expected to bear the brunt of the storm.

Storm Callum is expected to bring south to southeast winds with gusts of between 90 and 110 km/h. A spell of heavy rain will accompany the winds.

#StormCallum approaching Ireland. pic.twitter.com/3hY15dUTnB

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) October 11, 2018

Limerick City and County Council is monitoring the situation very closely and liaising with Met Éireann and the National Emergency Co-ordination Group.

As a precaution, flood defences are being installed at O’Callaghan and Clancy’s Strands and along all quays in the city.

The local authority is advising the owners of properties which are vulnerable to high tides to ensure precautionary measures are taken.

We are monitoring #StormCallum closely & have convened our Severe Weather Assessment Team.

A Status YELLOW Wind Warning from @MetEireann is in place for Limerick & is valid from midnight tonight until 9am tomorrow morning.

Learn more: https://t.co/tQTXi7TsLj #LKWorkingTogether pic.twitter.com/zdMOTjtDHx

— Limerick Council (@LimerickCouncil) October 11, 2018

In a statement, issued this Thursday, Shannon Airport confirmed that all flights are operating on schedule. However, intending passengers are advised to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport over the next 48 hours.

Airline schedules are currently operating as normal. We have not been advised of any alteration to tomorrow’s schedule.✈️
Passengers should check flight status with airlines before travelling to the airport. Updates later on our socialmediahttps://t.co/xlEdEeTrV5 #StormCallum pic.twitter.com/FtoA0YfKPX

— Shannon Airport (@ShannonAirport) October 11, 2018

In the county, areas that are prone to flooding such as Foynes and Askeaton are being protected.

“We would appeal to members of the public to exercise extreme caution while out during the storm, and stay away from exposed coastal and river areas. Spot flooding may occur due to intensive rain during the storm combined with autumnal leaf fall, making driving particularly hazardous,” said a spokesperson.

Limerick City and County Council has crews on standby to deal with any serious issues as a result from Storm Callum. 

There is no requirement for the wide scale deployment of sandbags at this stage.

Limerick City and County Council has also been in contact with the HSE and Gardaí, as part of the #LKWorkingTogether group.