Ireland battered by dangerous Storm Éowyn, record winds surpass 180 km/h
Storm Éowyn became the strongest storm in the world on Friday, battering parts of Ireland with destructive winds over 180 km/h
From historic Florida snow to historic record-setting winds, a rare event is unfolding as a powerful storm tracked its way across the Atlantic Ocean this week.
Storm Éowyn continued to pick up steam, becoming the strongest storm across the globe on Friday. New national wind records have been broken, as gusts surpassed 180 km/h in parts of Ireland on Friday.
A gust of 183 km/h was reported at Mace Head in County Galway.
To put this kind of strength into perspective, the most powerful wind gust ever record at the Halifax airport in Nova Scotia, was 143 km/h when Hurricane Juan made landfall.
This surpasses several other long-standing wind records across Canada's East Coast, as well.
Storm Éowyn reached weather bomb criteria, dropping over 34 mb in just a matter of five hours. Those types of rapid pressure drops typically result in the most powerful winds.
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Over 725,000 were left without power by Friday afternoon, leaving almost one-third of Irish homes and businesses in the dark, according to a report from Reuters. This type of nationwide damage to the power network is said to be "unprecedented." Further power outages may still occur as the storm tracks northwards.
The quickly deteriorating conditions also forced several cancellations, including schools, public transportation and hundreds of flights.
A rare red wind warning was issued ahead of the storm's arrival, the highest alert level by meteorological standards, and a first for the entire country since Storm Ophelia in 2017.
People had heeded the warning to stay indoors, with streets left deserted during the typical morning rush hour on Friday.
Winds are expected to ease across Ireland, but will pick up for Scotland and parts of the UK through Friday. These winds won't be as severe, but gusts could reach between the 100-120 km/h range.
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Wave heights up to 12 metres, or three storeys tall, were also a threat, with the risk for coastal flooding in low-lying and exposed areas.
WATCH: Storm Éowyn tears off roofs, uproots trees in the UK
With files from Reuters
