Weather warning for Cork as Hurricane Ophelia on way

CORK could experience some extreme weather in the coming days, with Met Éireann issuing an advisory warning that is set to remain in place until Tuesday.

Hurricane Ophelia was upgraded to a category one hurricane last night. It is currently making its way across the Atlantic but the path is unpredictable and meteorologists are unsure if or when Ireland might feel its effects.

"We're looking at the possibility of stormy weather coming our way early next week - Sunday night, Monday, maybe even into Tuesday morning - with the remnants of a hurricane or tropical storm Ophelia wrapped up in it,” Gerald Fleming, Head of Forecasting at Met Eireann, said.

"At the moment, because it's four days away, there are a lot of possibilities as to how this might evolve, we are anxious to keep an eye on it. Be aware, this could be a complete non-event, or it could be a severe event."

Storm-force winds, outbreaks of heavy rain, and very high seas are threatened.

Met Eireann has said it will maintain a close watch on the evolution and issue further advisories and warnings as these are warranted.

The UK Met Office has advised that cold sea temperatures mean Ophelia will not be strong enough to be categorised as a hurricane by the time it crosses the Atlantic and reaches Ireland and Britain.

Until then, experts will assess its movements and update their predictions accordingly.

“Met Éireann will maintain a close watch on the evolution and issue further advisories and warnings as these are warranted,” the weather service said.

Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University, said Ophelia is the 10th consecutive Atlantic storm to reach hurricane status, matching the all-time record set in 1878 and equalled in 1886 and 1893.