A man has died and hundreds of thousands of homes are without power as Storm Amy, the first named storm of the season, wreaks havoc across Ireland and parts of the UK. Irish police are treating the death in County Donegal as weather-related, while widespread power outages affect both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
In the Republic, approximately 184,000 homes, farms, and businesses lost power, according to the Electricity Supply Board (ESB). Northern Ireland has around 50,000 properties without electricity, NIE Networks reported. All train lines in Northern Ireland have been closed, and airports advise passengers to check flight statuses with their airlines.
Scotland faces an amber weather warning for damaging winds, with gusts up to 100mph in exposed western areas. The Met Office warns of danger to life from flying debris, potential power cuts, and building damage. A derelict building collapsed in Glasgow, and over 60 incidents were reported on Scotland's railway network within the first two hours of the storm.
Ferry services between Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as to several Scottish islands, have been cancelled. The Forth Road Bridge was closed to all vehicles. The RNLI urges extreme caution near coasts due to significant safety risks from strong gusts.
Storm Amy has also disrupted events, including the cancellation of the United Rugby Championship match between Edinburgh and Ulster. Schools in parts of Northern Ireland closed early, and residents in County Donegal were advised to shelter in place during the highest-level wind warning.
A provisional October wind gust record for Northern Ireland was set at 92mph in Magilligan, County Derry. The storm is expected to continue affecting the north and west of Scotland until Saturday morning.
