A recent storm that hit Ireland, Great Britain and Scandinavia led to serious consequences. In Ireland and Northern Ireland, strong winds, comparable to a hurricane, resulted in the power being cut off in thousands of homes and businesses, as well as disruptions to the transportation system across the region. Wind speeds reached 183 km/h in the Gulf of St. Lawrence according to the Irish Meteorological Service. As reported by the government, by 6:00 AM local time, electricity had been turned off for 560 thousand homes, farms, and companies.
Irish and British national meteorological services issued the most serious warnings about the weather on Thursday due to the impact of Storm Ewin, which was expected to hit the Irish coast in the early hours of Friday morning, moving towards northern Scotland. Great Britain issued warnings about bad weather for a number of areas in England and Wales, alerting to potential power outages and travel disruptions, with gusty winds reaching up to 80 km/h in central London.
During this time, such cities as Dublin in Ireland, Belfast in Northern Ireland, and Glasgow in Scotland experience a frightening silence, similar to the first day of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Associated Press. The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh closed its doors, while First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stated: "We need to be clear."