Two men dressed only in swimming shorts were seen braving treacherous conditions in Galway, Ireland despite a wave of weather warnings as Storm Amy causes chaos
Alarming pictures show swimmers braving the high waves as they go for a dip in the sea despite severe weather warnings being issued due to Storm Amy.
Some areas of Britain are being battered by 100mph winds on Friday, with the storm already hitting much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. As the first named storm of the season sweeps in from the Atlantic, heavy rain and strong winds of up to 100mph are expected in exposed coastal areas on Friday.
Today, two men were seen braving the conditions and going for a swim in the sea at Blackrock Diving Tower in Galway, Ireland. The swimmers, dressed only in shorts, were seen getting into the sea as huge waves emerged around them, defying a status red weather warning in place across Ireland.
In Britain, the Met Office has issued an amber warning for wind from 3pm on Friday to 8pm the same day. The Met Office says: “A period of damaging south to southwesterly winds are likely during the late afternoon and evening hours on Friday, with gusts of 60-70mph inland and up to 80mph along some more exposed coasts.”
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Storm Amy has prompted weather warnings throughout the country for heavy rain and strong winds, with yellow weather warnings for wind in place for the entire UK tomorrow. The warnings highlight a danger to life, the possibility of power cuts, travel disruption and particularly dangerous conditions near coasts.
Met Office Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “Storm Amy will be an impactful autumn storm for many in Scotland and Northern Ireland, though impacts will also spread to northwest England and Wales, as well as a more widespread windy period for the rest of the UK.
“Within the Amber warning areas, damaging gusts of around 100mph are possible for a time on Friday evening for parts of western Scotland, especially Skye, Tiree, Barra and western Lochaber.
“This could lead to significant disruption, and brings the risk of power cuts and damage to buildings and trees. Elsewhere, gusts of 60-80 mph are expected more widely in the Amber warning areas, and slightly lower figures for those covered by Yellow warnings.
“Rainfall is an additional hazard, in particular over western Scotland, where totals could exceed 30-50mm in 6-9 hours, increasing the risk of flooding for some. A number of warnings have been issued covering the rainfall risk for the coming days.”
Past named storms since 2015 have seen wind gusts reach 80-90mph, while the highest wind gust recorded in the UK in October is 124mph recorded at Rhoose, South Glamorgan on October 28, 1989.
Those traveling in Scotland on Friday have been warned that weather could impact the roads and rail services.
Martin Thomson, from Transport Scotland, said: “Storm Amy is set to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Scotland and we expect to see disruption to the transport network in the warning areas. The rain and wind will bring difficult driving conditions, such as reduced visibility and surface water, and are also likely to affect the ferry and rail networks, so it’s important to plan your journey ahead of time.
“Motorists should use the Traffic Scotland website before they set off to make sure that their route is available, and you should check with your operator if you are planning to travel on trains, ferries and flights.”
Sarah Cook, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, added: “Storm Amy is expected to bring heavy rainfall that may lead to minor surface flooding across parts of the north of England and Midlands this Friday and Saturday. Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and supporting local authorities in responding to surface water flooding. We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and coastal paths, and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.”