Storms disrupt ferry services

GALES at sea and gusty winds on land, sometimes reaching speeds of up to 70 m.p.h., are forecast for the rest of the week.

Ferry services were disrupted by the severe winds yesterday and conditions are likely to be worse today.

Both Irish Ferries and Stena Sealink cancelled sailings from Dublin and Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead. The Stena HSS could not leave Dun Laoghaire and passengers were taken on a conventional ferry or were transferred to Rosslare to take the ferry to Fishguard.

The Marine Rescue Co ordination Centre has been sending out gale warnings. Storm force 10 winds are expected off the west coast. "We're looking at a pretty windy week ahead, with a mixed bag of weather," said Met Office forecaster Mr John Doyle.

Winds yesterday reached speeds of up to 50 m.p.h. but the forecast for today is for gusts of up to 70 m.p.h. in exposed places. At sea, winds of up to gale force 10 can be expected.

There will be cloudy periods with spells of prolonged rain and relatively mild temperatures mixed with "clear showery weather" during which temperatures will's fall.

The winds are the result of a deep depression which has formed out over the Atlantic and which might come close to the north west during this week.

The development is a welcome one for an international group of meteorologists based at Shannon who have since January been involved in a project studying how storms form over the Atlantic.

"The January just gone was exceptional for its lack of storms," said Mr Doyle. "Now the people at FASTEX (Fronts and Atlantic Storm Tracks Experiment) will have something to get their teeth into."