Met Eireann issued a nationwide Status Yellow wind warning yesterday which remains in place until midnight on Monday.
Met Eireann issued a nationwide Status Yellow wind warning yesterday which remains in place until midnight on Monday while a Status Orange wind warning is in place for Clare, Kerry, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, and Sligo until 8pm tonight.
The storm will bring very strong gale force winds and high tides with risks of coastal flooding, large coastal waves, falling trees, power outages and dangerous travelling conditions.
As a result of the severe weather conditions, there have been a number of disruptions to air travel this morning, with many airlines cancelling flights.
At Dublin Airport, at least eleven Aer Lingus flights were cancelled, many of which were heading to destinations in the UK such as Bradford, Leeds, and Edinburgh.
And several passengers flying into Ireland on Aer Lingus planes have also seen their flights cancelled today, with thirteen journeys being affected before 2pm.
The airline’s transatlantic flights to the US appear to be running as normal.
A number of flights in and out of Dublin Airport are also experiencing delays with further cancellations this afternoon.
A spokesperson for Dublin Airport said: “Storm Ashley is having an impact on flight operations throughout Ireland and the UK today. Some airlines have cancelled a small number of flights in and out of Dublin Airport, while others are subject to delays. Winds are forecast to remain strong throughout.”
Meanwhile, Ryanair has issued a warning to Cork Airport passengers arriving or departing from the Rebel County this weekend – especially those travelling to or from the UK.
A spokesperson for the airline said potential delays are being monitored and Ryanair intends to keep passengers informed with all the latest updates.
Two Ryanair flights from Paris and Birmingham were diverted to Shannon Airport earlier today while several other journeys are experiencing delays.
A Ryanair flight destined for Birmingham from Cork Airport this afternoon has also been cancelled.
Meanwhile, Shannon Airport operations do not currently appear to be affected by Storm Ashley.
Departures and arrivals from the airport in Co Clare have been running successfully with some minor delays despite Met Éireann’s Status Orange weather warning.
It comes after Met Éireann forecaster Joanna Donnelly appealed to the public to avoid the coasts during Storm Ashley and “not to risk their life for an Instagram photo”.
She described it as a “very serious storm” and warned of the ongoing risk of flooding.
Ms Donnelly said Ireland has seen the highest spring tides of the year so far.
“We’re going to have coastal flooding. We’ve got very strong winds associated with Storm Ashley, particularly along west-facing coasts,” she told RTÉ Radio One’s Brendan O’Connor Show.
“We’ve got heavy rain too. There’s likely to be flooding – caused by the rain, caused by the onshore wind, caused by the spring tides.
“We’ve kind of got a perfect storm going on here. It is very serious. And the main message we need to get out there is [to] stay away from the coast. Don’t risk your life for an Instagram photo,” she added.
The forecaster also appealed to the public to follow Met Éireann’s weather warnings as they develop in the wake of the country’s first named storm of the season.
“Keep an eye on your own vulnerabilities, your property’s vulnerabilities. Tie down the trampolines, no matter where you are in the country, and make sure any loose debris is well taken care of,” she said.
“Don’t go near any fallen trees. Call the emergency services if a tree is down near you – those electricity wires can be hidden under trees.
“Don’t risk your life or the life of those that have to come rescue you in the case of attending coasts. Don’t go near the coasts.”
“We always need to be aware of our own vulnerabilities to significant weather. It’s going to be a very windy day and there’s going to be some very heavy rain, there’s going to be difficult or dangerous traveling conditions.
“So you need to take responsibility for your own safety here and be aware that these warnings can change,” she added.