MOTHER NATURE

‘Unprecedented’ Storm Ophelia Leaves Three Dead in Ireland

At least 300,000 people left without power.

At least three people were killed in Ireland in an “unprecedented storm” that battered the country’s west coast Monday. Authorities said all three victims were killed by falling trees. The storm also left at least 300,000 people without power and shut down schools and government offices. Ireland had braced for Hurricane Ophelia—the strongest East Atlantic hurricane on record—before it was downgraded to a storm ahead of landfall Monday. Authorities said winds reached that of a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of 119 mph in some areas. Dublin Airport was forced to halt 180 flights, while Cork Airport canceled almost all of its flights. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves across Northern Ireland and Scotland.