Three Dead As Hurricane Ophelia Hits Ireland

Two men and a woman have been killed as the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia hit the British Isles.

As hurricane-force gusts battered the Republic of Ireland, one woman and a man died in separate incidents when trees fell on their cars.

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A second man died in a chainsaw accident while attempting to remove a tree felled by the storm.

Thousands of homes and businesses are without power in the Irish Republic, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Police in Scotland say the storm has hit Dumfries and Galloway and it is forecast to continue over the region into the evening.

‘Stay indoors’

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The woman, in her 50s, died near Aglish, County Waterford, and a female passenger, in her 70s, was injured.

Her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, the Gardai, Ireland’s police force, said.

One of the men died near Dundalk, Co Louth, after his car was struck by a tree at about 14.45 BST, the Gardai said.

The other man, in his 30s, was killed in Cahir, Co Tipperary.

All road users were urged to stay indoors and not travel unless their journey was absolutely necessary.

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The Met Office has warned of “potential danger to life”, with wind gusts off the south coast of Ireland reaching 109mph (176km/h) at Fastnet Rock.

An amber warning for Northern Ireland, Wales, south-west Scotland and the Isle of Man is in force until 23:00 BST.

A yellow warning of “very windy weather” also covers parts of Scotland, the west and north of England and Wales.

It could be several days before power is restored to some homes in the Republic of Ireland, ESB Networks has warned.

The roof of Cork’s football stadium has also been blown off by the winds.

In Wales, the Cleddau Bridge was shut to high-sided vehicles, Pembrokeshire County Council said. All schools in the county have been closed.

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Elsewhere in the UK, skies have turned red and yellow as Ophelia drags dust from the Sahara through the atmosphere.

BBC

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