USEFUL KNOWLEDGE GENTLE REMINDER: CHECK ON YOUR OLDER BE WINTER-READY  The timing and geographical location of a RELATIVES AND NEIGHBOURS weather event, as well as recent weather conditions, can impact significantly on the individual and on society  Heavy rain can turn to when temperatures are close to zero  Winds can exceed general warning thresholds in exposed areas such as coasts and high ground and also in some low lying areas due to funnelling effects  High waves can occur on lakes as well as along coasts  Ice is not always visible on roads and surfaces  Fog/ice can persist all day If it’s difficult for you to get around it will be  Hail showers can result in potentially lethal impossible for them. road conditions as the hail gets quickly compacted by traffic  Do you have their phone number(s)? Met Éireann’s  Heavy downpours can lead to flash flooding  Phone them or call around and poor visibility  Make sure they have enough fuel, food  Thunderstorms: Be aware of the dangers of supplies and necessary medications Weather Warnings lightning and DO NOT take shelter under an  If in doubt call the Gardaí and ask them to umbrella or a tree. It is dangerous to be out check over open water. Be careful of landline phones or any metal that connects with the ground. Lightning can strike the same spot twice You can get more information from:

Keep yourself informed about the meteorological  www.met.ie (weather) conditions from Met Éireann with detailed 7-day  www.iws.ie (water safety) forecasts available for over 3,000 locations on  www.hse.ie (health) www.met.ie and mobile App.  www.rsa.ie (road safety)  www.tii.ie (traffic information) Please subscribe to push notifications  www.flooding.ie (OPW) of Warnings on the Met Éireann App.  www.emergencyplanning.ie

LoCall OEP: 1890 252 736 or 0761 001 608 www.winterready.ie e-mail: [email protected] @emergencyIE

WEATHER WARNINGS COLOUR CODING EXPLAINED STORM NAMING

Met Éireann is the National Meteorological Naming storms by National Met Services has been Service of Ireland and one of its most important STATUS YELLOW: Weather that does NOT shown to raise awareness of severe weather. It roles is to issue weather forecasts and warnings pose a threat to the general population but is provides a clear, authoritative and consistent for Ireland. This Public Weather Service potentially dangerous on a localised scale. message to the public and prompts people to take mandate is primarily to protect life and ensure action to prevent harm to themselves or to their citizen safety. The service also supports the Be aware about meteorological conditions and check if property. activities of the citizen and other agencies to you are exposed to danger by nature of your activity or mitigate damage to property and reduce your specific location. Do not take any avoidable risks. Met Éireann, the UK and KMNI disturbance to economic activity. (Netherlands) collaborate in forecasting and naming storms. The names are chosen from public Met Éireann’s main suite of warnings are issued STATUS ORANGE: Infrequent and dangerous suggestions and are in alphabetical order, between 10am and midday and these are weather conditions which may pose a threat alternating between gender. updated as new information becomes available. to life and property. In general, warnings will not be issued more  A storm is named by a National Met Service when than 48-hours ahead of the expected adverse Prepare yourself in an appropriate way depending on Orange Level wind warnings are forecast to weather but advisories on potential hazards can location and activity. All people and property in the impact over a wide area overland be issued up to a week in advance. affected areas can be significantly impacted.  Orange or Red level gusts can occur in exposed Check your activity/event and delay or cancel as ap- areas without the event being named Local authorities are the lead agencies for co- propriate. ordinating the response to severe weather Once a storm is named by a National Met Service emergencies. Where weather emergencies are the is retained. For example: Ophelia was judged to impact public safety at national level a named by the National Hurricane Center (USA) and STATUS RED: Rare and very dangerous National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) Emma by IPMA (Portugal). weather conditions from intense is activated by the Office of Emergency Planning meteorological phenomena. Marine Warnings on request from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government which is the Take action to protect yourself and your property. Fol- Small Craft Warning:Beaufort Force 6 or 7 forecast Lead Government Department for weather low instructions and advice given by the authorities un- out to 10 nautical miles offshore around Irish Coasts. emergencies. der ALL circumstances and be prepared for exceptional measures. : Gale Force 8 or higher forecast out Met Éireann provides the weather briefings at to 30 nautical miles offshore (Irish Coastal Waters) the NECG, which brings together all Government and the Irish Sea. Departments and relevant agencies and organisations, to support the locally led This colour coding is used throughout Europe via Yellow Gale Force 8/Strong Gale Force 9 response and ensure coordination across the the Meteoalarm system www.meteoalarm.eu Orange Storm Force 10 “Whole-of-Government” for the duration of the Red Violent Storm Force 11/Hurricane Force 12 emergency.