Storm Eleanor

Date published: 02 January 2018

The Met Office has issued a Yellow Warning for very strong winds, potentially over all of Northern Ireland, through Tuesday night and Wednesday morning (2nd and 3rd January).

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Gales with gusts of 60 to 70 mph are likely, with potential for power cuts, disruption to services and a risk of injury and danger to life caused by flying debris.

Farmers should be particularly aware of their health and safety when tending livestock and carrying out other tasks around the farm. The strong winds may dislodge sheets of tin and roof tiles turning them into lethal missiles, or bring down trees and break branches. Even in the aftermath of a storm, great care should be taken when mending roofs or using chainsaws to deal with fallen trees.

Even if we are spared the worst on this occasion, farmers should continually be assessing the risks caused by severe weather and prepare their farm for a range of potential winter challenges:

  • Frozen and burst pipes;
  • Snow and frost;
  • Interruption of power and water supply;
  • Flooding and storm damage;
  • Difficulty in moving materials or stock around the farm; or
  • Problems with deliveries to or collections from the farm.

Consider the main risk areas and work out how you would deal with severe weather and how it would affect your ability to provide water, food and shelter to your animals.

Keep a close eye on the weather forecast so that you are able to take appropriate action. Carefully consider whether you need to move animals to lower ground or fodder stocks to a more sheltered location. Have you sufficient stocks of feed and other materials if deliveries are disrupted. Will farm lanes become unsafe in the event of snow and ice or deep water? If so, consider the need for marker signs at the edges and/or alternative routes. Keep main access areas ice free/salted to avoid potential accidents that may involve humans, animals, or machinery.

 

 

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