RTÉ has confirmed that it has reached out to members of the studio audience for Friday night's much-anticipated Late Late Toy Show over safety concerns related to Storm Darragh.
The national broadcaster confirmed that station bosses discussed the storm with dozens of guests set to travel from areas of the country affected by Status Orange weather warnings to the Late Late Show studios for the TV event of the year, which kicks off at 9.35pm on Friday. A show spokesperson saidr: “The safety and wellbeing of all involved in The Toy Show is part of our planning every year. The Toy Show team has been keeping in contact with those living in affected areas.”
Meanwhile, members of the public have been urged to keep their mobile phones charged, to monitor weather forecasts and never to drive through flooded roads as Storm Darragh is set to batter Ireland over the weekend. Met Éireann has issued a slew of orange and yellow wind and rain warnings that came into effect as of midday on Thursday and will remain in place in some counties until at least 9pm on Saturday night.
The storm is set to bring heavy rain, very strong winds, particularly in the west and northwest of the country, with localised flooding, fallen trees, difficult travelling conditions and damage to power lines expected in the worst-affected areas. 16 of the 32 counties in Ireland and Northern Ireland will be affected by Status Orange wind warnings on Friday and Saturday, while every county will be affected by a Status Yellow wind or rain warning at some point over the next three days. Added to that, a Status Yellow wind warning for the entire country comes into effect at 3pm on Friday and will remain in place until 3pm on Saturday. You can view the full list of warnings here.
Ahead of the impending arrival of Storm Darragh, the National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM), Met Éireann and other stakeholders met on Thursday afternoon to discuss the current weather warnings in place. In a statement, the NDFEM said it is continuing to liaise with Met Éireann and is monitoring the situation. Local Authorities will also continue to monitor conditions locally with Local Authority Severe Weather Assessment Teams (SWATs) ready to respond where and when necessary.
Keith Leonard, National Director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, advised the public to take extra care, particularly if travelling, to stay away from coastal areas and to never drive through flooded roads. “Most of the country will be impacted by strong winds and everyone should take extra care,” Leonard said.
“In particular, this storm may bring dangerous travelling conditions. Strong winds can make driving conditions hazardous, especially for more vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and high-sided vehicles, and road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris. There is also potential for localised flooding in some areas, so it’s important to remember to never drive through flooded roads, as the depth of the water can be deceiving.
“I would also urge the public to stay away from coastal areas during this period and to heed the appeal from the Irish Coast Guard for people to ‘Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry’.” The ESB is advising the public to stay away from live wires that may fall as a result of the storm and to report any instances as soon as possible. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1800 372 999 and the public can monitor www.PowerCheck.ie in relation to power restoration times in impacted areas.
People are also advised to ensure their mobile phone is fully charged to enable communication and also to monitor Met Éireann forecasts for the most up-to-date weather information throughout the weekend.
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