Warnings have been strengthened for several counties in Northern Ireland as Storm Bram moves in with potentially dangerous winds and widespread travel disruption.
Forecasters have issued a new amber wind warning for parts of Antrim, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone, signalling extremely strong winds that could trigger significant disruption. The amber alert will run from 14:00 to 19:00 GMT on Tuesday.
A broader yellow warning remains in place for all of Northern Ireland from 09:00 until 22:00, with the Met Office cautioning that the updated alerts may bring “travel disruption in places”, along with the possibility of power cuts and structural damage. Officials also warn that flying debris could pose “a danger to life”.
Storm Bram is expected to batter coastal and inland areas throughout the day, prompting authorities to activate contingency plans across the region.
Transport disruption is already being felt. Temporary flood defences have been installed along sections of the River Lagan in Belfast in advance of a predicted tidal surge. Belfast City Airport has cancelled ten outbound flights to Great Britain and eleven inbound arrivals, mostly Aer Lingus regional services operating propeller aircraft.
Dublin Airport has also been hit by severe disruption, with 42 flights cancelled by 07:00 local time, split evenly between inbound and outbound journeys. Further cancellations are expected as winds escalate.
Ferry routes have been heavily affected. Stena Line has cancelled multiple sailings between Belfast and Cairnryan, including the 11:30, 15:30 and 19:30 departures, while warning that the 23:30 service remains “in doubt.”
Services between Dublin and Holyhead have also been cancelled, including the 02:15 and 08:15 sailings and three return journeys from Holyhead. P&O has cancelled all Larne–Cairnryan services on Tuesday.
NI Direct is advising the public to avoid forests, country parks and nature reserves until the severe weather has passed, while a number of local councils have announced temporary facility closures in response to safety concerns.
The Department for Infrastructure has deployed teams to clear road gullies and drainage systems and has placed extra staff on standby. Temporary flood barriers along the River Lagan, installed earlier this year, have been reinforced amid expectations of a tidal surge coinciding with high tide on Tuesday afternoon. Coastal roads in County Down and other vulnerable areas may also face flooding.
Storm Bram is the second officially named storm of the 2025–26 season. It takes its name from the Irish writer Bram Stoker, born Abraham Stoker Jnr in Dublin in 1847 and best known for the iconic novel Dracula.
The name was selected as part of the joint UK–Ireland–Netherlands storm-naming scheme operated by the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI. A storm is named only when forecasters believe it has the potential to trigger amber or red alerts and cause major impact.
