Storm Floris strikes as NI's strongest August winds in 36 years bring power outages and plane cancellations
Storm Floris brought power outages and plane cancellations as Northern Ireland was hit by its strongest August winds in 36 years.
The severe gusts brought winds of 66mph, equalling the fastest speed ever seen during the month in the province.
The Met Office confirmed record-equalling winds were recorded at Orlock Head, a spot between Bangor and Donaghadee on the northern coast of Co Down. The last time winds that severe were detected in Northern Ireland during August was in 1989.
A total of 10 flights were cancelled at Belfast City Airport, making it the second-worst hit facility in the United Kingdom after Aberdeen Airport.
Power outages and fallen trees and branches were reported all over the province, as the storm made its way across from the Atlantic Ocean over the course of the day.
A house in the Ashgrove Park area of north Belfast was evacuated after a tree fell onto the property, with the Northern Ireland Fire Service confirming residents of the home had been “safely relocated” as a number of specialist teams responded to the emergency.
An earlier tree fall caused Kempe Stones Road near Dundonald just east of Belfast to be shut, though it had reopened before noon.
Meanwhile around 40 power cuts were reported to still be happening around mid-afternoon.
Speaking on Monday evening, a Met Office spokesman told the News Letter that conditions would ease slowly over the following 24 hours, but strong gusts of between 30mph and 40mph could still be expected overnight and into Tuesday.
“Tuesday will see sunshine and scattered showers,” he said. “Those showers could bring with them those gusts, so it will be a very blustery day all round, if not as severe as Monday.”
A number of councils in Northern Ireland closed outdoor spaces, including parks and recycling centres.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs advised the public not to visit affected forests and parks on Monday and Tuesday, until the high winds have passed.
Northern parts of the UK were heavily disrupted by the severe storm, with roads and railway lines blocked by fallen trees amid high winds.
Gusts of about 85mph were expected in exposed parts of the country as the storm moved northward.
In Scotland, police warned drivers to stay away from two roads in Aberdeenshire and the Western Highlands, which were blocked by fallen trees and overturned campervans respectively.
Several bridges, such as the A9 Dornoch Bridge in the Highlands and the A1 Tyne Bridge in East Lothian, were also closed due to high winds.
A number of rail lines in Scotland were blocked by fallen trees, including one near Cornton in Stirling which landed on overhead wires.
Crews were also called out to cut back fallen trees from a train line near Giffnock, East Renfrewshire.
A yellow warning for wind for northern parts of the UK became active at 6am on Monday morning and was to end at midnight in Northern Ireland.
A number of train services were halted and ferry sailings cancelled across the UK.
Storm Floris also impacted Edinburgh’s busy festival period, with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo cancelling its Monday performance.