Post-Tropical Ophelia May Have Set Records For Strongest Irish Winds, Strongest NE Cyclone
The post-tropical incarnation of Hurricane Ophelia slammed Ireland and the northern parts of the U.K., including Scotland, on Monday with damaging wind gusts, towering waves, coastal flooding, and a bizarre phenomenon related to wildfires burning in Portugal and Spain.
As a hurricane, Ophelia set records for being the strongest storm ever observed so far to the north and east in the Atlantic Ocean. On Friday and Saturday, the storm brushed past the Azores as a Category 3 storm. Then, it underwent a rapid transition into an extratropical low pressure system, feeding off the differences in air masses and upper level energy from the jet stream, rather than heat and moisture drawn from the warm waters of the Atlantic.
The storm prompted Met Eireann, Ireland's weather service, to issue a rare, nationwide red weather warning for strong winds on Monday. The agency instructed people to remain indoors during the day, and the government closed its offices as well as schools, and parts of the transportation networks.
As of midday Monday, eastern time, there were media reports of at least 2 storm-related deaths. The storm, referred to by Met Eireann as Ex-Hurricane Ophelia, or "Storm Ophelia," produced a 10 minute average wind speed of 57 miles per hour, with a gust to 84 miles per hour at Roches Point. However, much higher gusts have also been recorded elsewhere:
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http://mashable.com/2017/10/16/storm-ophelia-slams-ireland-hurricane-force-winds-strongest-storm-decades/#SVArnVKH7iq8