Ireland, UK brace for impact of Hurricane Ophelia

LONDON (AP) — Wind gusts up 80 mph (130 kph) may lash Ireland as the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia hit the British Isle, the Irish weather service warned Saturday.

The Met Eireann weather service issued a "status red" warning for the western Irish counties of Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork and Kerry. It said Ophelia could bring winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts of more than 80 mph (130 kph) Monday, with the potential for structural damage, high seas and flooding.

Britain's Meteorological Office also warned of very windy weather Monday in Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England.

Ophelia on Saturday was a Category 2 hurricane in the mid-Atlantic, with sustained winds near 100 mph (155 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center said it is likely to weaken on Monday and Tuesday.

By coincidence, Monday is the 30th anniversary of the Great Storm of 1987, which killed almost 20 people in Britain and felled 15 million trees.

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