Weather & Radar
Home / Editor's Pick /

On this day: Hurricane Ophelia in 2017

11:00
16 October 2023

On this day
Hurricane Ophelia in 2017

Orange skies in London, as a result of OpheliaOrange skies in London on October 16th 2017, as a result of Ophelia - © picture alliance

On this day, six years ago, the skies turned orange as ex-Hurricane Ophelia barrelled across the UK and Ireland.

Ex-Hurricane Ophelia, named by the US National Hurricane Center, brought exceptionally strong gusts of up to 90mph to the British Isles on October 16th - 17th 2017.

The highest recorded wind gusts were 97mph at Roches Point, Ireland, and 90mph at both Aberdaron and Capel Curig respectively, in the UK.

The Republic of Ireland experienced the worst of the impacts, with three fatalities as a result of falling trees. Power cuts also affected thousands of homes across Wales and Northern Ireland, with damage also to a stadium roof in Cumbria.

When storms occur in early autumn, they are still mostly in full leaf. The fuller trees provide a larger surface area, acting as a shield and obstacle to the wind, rather than allowing the wind to smoothly flow through the bare canopies.

This is why autumn storms, rather than winter storms can often produce greater damage.

Ophelia also caused the skies to turn orange across southern England, owing to the large amounts of Sahara dust, and also wildfire smoke from Portugal, that it had drawn up in its path.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Thursday 24 April 2025

Trail of damage

Aerial view of U.S. tornado track
Monday 12 May 2025

Across England and Wales

Thunderstorm risk to start the week
Thursday 1 May 2025

Beating a 1990 record

Hottest start to May on record
All weather news
This might also interest you
Friday 25 April 2025

Breakfast brief

Rain passing through to end the week
Friday 2 May 2025

Thanks to a low in Iberia

Southern England warmer than Spain
Friday 2 May 2025

Breakfast brief

Increasingly cloudy, heat starts to fade
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.ie

facebooktwitteryouTubeContact uslinkList
Privacy Policy | Legal info