‘Double disaster' warning as Ireland ‘very lucky' to miss devastating floods amid stark ‘more extreme weather' alert

The Irish Sun

22-04-2025

PARTS of Ireland could have been completely devastated by flooding if the record breaking Storm Eowyn had hit just one week earlier, new research has shown.
The January storm
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Storm surge research team, Dr Niall Madden, Dr Indiana Olbert and Alexander Shchepetkin
Credit: Aengus McMahon/University of Galway/PA
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A roof that blew off and destroyed a house, in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn, on Lettermullan Island
Credit: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Researchers at the University of Galway have been studying the
During the storm on 24 January,
The
The study from the University of
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However, the research team claim that if the storm had hit just one week earlier during the high water spring tide – parts of Galway,
The data shows that the storm surge in Galway Port would have reached 4.96 metres, Limerick Dock would be rocked with waves of 5.85 metres and Shannon Airport hit with 5.43 waves.
Dr Niall Madden of the University of Galway said parts of Ireland could have been hit by "double disaster" if the storm hit hours earlier.
He said: 'In spite of how devastating
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'The worst of the storm surge coincided with a low and ebbing tide.
'Worse than Christmas', cries as shop shelves CLEARED OUT amid Storm Eowyn
"Had it hit just a few hours earlier, on a full or flooding tide, Galway could have been dealing with a double disaster of record high winds and record high flooding.'
Dr Indiana Olbert, School of Engineering at University of Galway's College of Science and Engineering, warned of future risks.
Dr Olbert said: 'Extensive research suggest that flooding has increased in frequency and severity in recent decades around the world and this is attributed to climate change.
"Our analysis of the drivers of flooding in Ireland show that the anthropogenic climate change – that's the changes related to human activity - will drive more extreme rainfall and generate more intense flooding.
DISASTER NARROWLY AVOIDED
"Such changes are likely to continue with further warming.
"In future we will witness
'Our analysis also shows that a rise in mean sea level rise will significantly increase the risk of coastal flooding in the future.
"The data we have recovered from the hours around Storm Éowyn shows just how narrowly tens of thousands of people avoided tidal inundation and threats to cities, towns and coastal communities.
"It is hard to imagine how narrowly we avoided unprecedented storm surge flooding and an inundation, in particular in towns and cities."
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Waves crash onto the shore in Bantry Bay, on the south-west coast of Ireland on the morning of January 24, 2025
Credit: Getty Images