“Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!
You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout
Till you have drench’d our steeples, drown’d the cocks!”
Extract from the play ‘King Lear’ – by William Shakespeare.
Having endured storm ‘Ophelia’ and ‘Brian’, in recent days, Ireland could be in line for a further brutalising wind pommelling, as forecasters predict that we can expect threats from storms named ‘Hector’, ‘Octavia’, ‘Tali’ and ‘Winifred’, all due in the coming months.
Names for the Wind Storm Season – 2017/18 – Ireland & UK
Aileen; Brian; Caroline; Dylan; Eleanor; Fionn; Georgina; Hector; Iona; James; Karen; Larry; Maeve; Niall; Octavia; Paul; Rebecca; Simon; Tali; Victor, and Winifred.
Names for the Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Season – 2017 – United States
Arlene; Bret; Cindy; Don; Emily; Franklin; Gert; Harvey; Irma; Jose; Katia; Lee; Maria; Nate; Ophelia; Philippe; Rina; Sean; Tammy; Vince, and Whitney.
To be granted a name, a storm must give rise to either a ‘Status Orange’ or ‘Status Red’ weather warning. Some 21 names are chosen from suggestions submitted by the public; sent to the United Kingdom and to Met Éireann, jointly. One name is picked for each letter of the alphabet, (apart from Q, U, X, Y and Z). Each categorised storm is then named according to the agreed list, having been alternated between genders and before being ordered alphabetically, e.g. Aileen; Brian; Caroline, Dylan etc.
Front Line Repair Crews and Contractors
In the wake of storm ‘Ophelia’, ESB repair crews made up of some 2,500 persons and some 1,000 contractors were mobilised to report to their local depots to engage with 6,000 separate locations requiring repairs, with an unprecedented 385,000 homes and business premises, devoid of power. Crews mustered at 6.30am each morning at their depots, working until 10.00pm each night. Hot breakfasts were supplied by Caterers to feed those assembled before going out. Many cancelled holiday leave to meet the needs of the emergency.
An extra 250 crew members were brought in from Northern Ireland, Scotland, France and the UK.
Priority was given to essential services, e.g. Water treatment plants, Health networks and Garda services; all backed up by the Irish army.
To all persons involved on the front line goes our thanks.
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