Displaying items by tag: Violent Storm 11

23rd January 2024

Storm Isha Was One Notch Away from 'Hurricane Force' in the Irish Sea - With Little Respite as Storm Jocelyn Sweeps In

It was so stormy on the Irish Sea during Storm Isha that the shipping forecast had put the weather conditions just one notch away from being categorised as hurricane force, it has emerged.

While on land, Storm Isha interrupted electricity supplies to about 50,000 residential customers and businesses, in addition numerous roads had been made impassable to motorists due to debris and fallen poles and trees.

One motorist died as a result of a collision with a collapsed tree.

Flights mainly at Belfast City Airport, located on the south side of Belfast Harbour, saw a large number cancelled and with some air-planes diverted. While on the Irish Sea, ferry firm Stena Line which was operating the E-Flexer class Stena Estrid was forced to circle off Belfast Lough for several hours as Afloat tracked before it could approach the Ulster coast and berth at the port.

According to the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) which told the News Letter, that the shipping forecast at the time indicated conditions up to and including “violent storm 11” on the Beaufort Scale.

This weather system which is a kind of maritime Richter Scale, is used to estimate the severity of wind strength and wave heights.

"It only goes up to 12,” said Ian Graham of the MCA, adding that such a state is “unusual” and he added the next stage up from “violent storm 11” on the Beauford scale is “hurricane”.

More here on the weather successive storms.

Published in Belfast Lough

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About Conor O'Brien, Irish Circumnavigator

In 1923-25, Conor O'Brien became the first amateur skipper to circle the world south of the Great Capes. O'Brien's boat Saoirse was reputedly the first small boat (42-foot, 13 metres long) to sail around the world since Joshua Slocum completed his voyage in the 'Spray' during 1895 to 1898. It is a journey that O' Brien documented in his book Across Three Oceans. O'Brien's voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived.

Saoirse, under O'Brien's command and with three crew, was the first yacht to circumnavigate the world by way of the three great capes: Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin; and was the first boat flying the Irish tri-colour to enter many of the world's ports and harbours. He ran down his easting in the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties between the years 1923 to 1925.

Up until O'Brien's circumnavigation, this route was the preserve of square-rigged grain ships taking part in the grain race from Australia to England via Cape Horn (also known as the clipper route).

At a Glance - Conor O'Brien's Circumnavigation

In June 1923, Limerick man Conor O’Brien set off on his yacht, the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the two-year voyage from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that was to make him the first Irish amateur to sail around the world.

June 1923 - Saoirse’s arrival in Madeira after her maiden passage out from Dublin Bay

2nd December 1924 - Saoirse crossed the longitude of Cape Horn

June 20th 1925 - O’Brien’s return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour