As Galway City Council prepares to deploy flood control measures at the Spanish Arch in advance of storm force winds and high spring tides tonight and tomorrow, the local authority is advising people to keep a close eye on weather updates over the coming days.
Storm Callum is set to hit Irish coasts tonight (Thursday ), and a status orange wind warning was scheduled for all coastal areas at the time of going to press. High spring tides have already led to the closure of the Promenade earlier this week, and the strong winds due to hit overnight are expected to exacerbate the flooding problem.
Strong winds associated with Storm Callum, coinciding with high spring tides, will affect Ireland on Thursday night and Friday morning. The orange weather warning will come into force at 10pm tonight and remain in place until 12 noon tomorrow (Friday ). Winds will be strongest overnight and early tomorrow, gusting between 110kph and 130kph on the coasts.
Meanwhile high tide is due to occur at 7.45am tomorrow, and is expected to coincide with storm surges and low atmospheric pressure, leading to concerns of flooding in the area of Galway Harbour, Spanish Parade, and the Fishmarket.
'I am particularly concerned with the dangers posed by trees that may have been destabilised by previous storms this year and which grow along roads and routes used by members of the public' - Minister Ciaran Cannon
Preparations are being made to install the aquadam flood barrier at Spanish Arch in advance of this event, and motorists are asked not to park in Toft Car Park or along the Promenade in Salthill until the storm has passed.
People are also advised to watch for further updates from the city council today on social and local media. “We will continue to assess the situation as it develops and will put other measures in place as required,” a spokesperson for the local authority said. “Our various crews will be on stand by in relation to the potential flooding event on Friday morning.”
Meanwhile Minister of State Ciaran Cannon is asking people to report unstable trees along public roads to either Galway County Council or the ESB ahead of tonight’s storm. “While people travelling in this weather should take every care, I am particularly concerned with the dangers posed by trees that may have been destabilised by previous storms this year and which grow along roads and routes used by members of the public,” Minister Cannon warned.
Further extreme weather is also being forecast for next week, with the remains of Hurricane Leslie currently tracking towards Ireland, but accurate details of this are not yet available.
