Radio stations across the country are making sure they are ready for Storm Eowyn on Friday.
Ireland’s independent services are ramping up preparations to ensure they are ready to quickly provide updated information to householders and businesses, along with RTE national stations.
Storm Eowyn is expected to be extremely severe in terms of damage and danger, and therefore information provided through radio stations will be needed by householders or businesses if electricity, water, or telecoms are affected, or if public safety information needs to be rapidly communicated by organisations like the local authorities, the Gardai or other emergency services.
Met Éireann has already issued a Status Red warning for the entire country from the early hours of Friday.
Michael Kelly, Chief Executive of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland commented today: “Our stations have ensured they are ready. At times of severe weather like this, radio is a vital source of information and householders or businesses are always advised to keep their FM radio nearby with spare batteries so they can hear news updates over the airwaves from our stations in relation to damage assessments, repair outlooks and other essential local and national information.
“Our 34 local, regional, and national stations are prepared. We know from past experience that mobile phone network sites, or indeed mobile phone handsets themselves, can be affected by power cuts, but the FM system is resilient and can communicate directly without need for broadband or internet access.
“FM provides local and national news and information directly to your radio. The independent radio sector has a total of more than 160 journalists across our stations as well as other essential staff dedicated to providing news updates and bulletins to listeners.
“Our people will be ensuring vital information is provided quickly to listeners, while keeping safe themselves.
“We have diesel generators at our stations and at our transmitter locations around the country and, as our radio stations are critical infrastructure, we work closely with ESB Networks. We assure our listeners we will be doing everything we can to provide uninterrupted provision of news and information.”
This story first appeared on Radio Today