SCHOOLS IN CLARE are to close on Friday with the county placed under a Status Red weather warning while bus services will be suspended.
Shortly before 5pm on Thursday evening, Met Éireann announced that both Clare and Waterford were to be placed under the Status Red weather warning from 3am to 11am on Friday morning. Cork and Kerry had already been under the alert.
With Clare under the Red weather warning, schools and colleges in the county are to close on Friday while the remainder of the public are urged to follow ‘stay at home’ advice during the 3am to 11am window.
Minister for Education, Norma Foley (FF) confirmed, “The Department is advising that schools in both counties should not open tomorrow 18 February along with the seven counties previously announced”.
Bus services across Clare will be suspended from 1am to 10am, Bus Éireann have confirmed.
Met Éireann is forecasting severe conditions across the country tomorrow due to very strong winds, heavy rain and snow, with gusts of up to 130km/h.
Authorities are pleading with members of the public to avoid coastal areas on Thursday and Friday with a real threat to safety posed from Storm Eunice. Coastal flooding is expected for Co Clare due to a combination of storm surge and high tide.
Any fallen or damaged electricity wires should be reported to the ESB Networks on 1800-372999/021-2382410. After the Status Orange warning, motorists should be aware that fallen trees, debris, localised flooding, and surface water can be expected on the roads in coastal areas and motorists should proceed with extreme caution.
Driving conditions are likely to be “hazardous,” senior engineer with Clare County Council, John Leahy cautioned. Winter maintenance crews attached to the Council will be treating some roads across the county from 7pm on Thursday, a list of salted routes will be detailed on the Council website.
An Orange wind warning has also been issued for all other counties in Munster as well as Galway, Dublin, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Laois and Kildare. The warning will be in place from 3am to 11am tomorrow.
