‘Notoriously difficult to spot' warning over deadly rip currents at popular Irish beaches before possible bank hol storm
The Irish Coast Guard,
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The RNLI says that rip currents are a major cause of accidental drownings and can be notoriously difficult to spot
Credit: RNLI
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To escape a riptide swimmers should try wade or swim horizontal to the shore
Credit: RNLI
The bad weather, they say, "will further increase the risk of getting into difficulty, especially on east coast
Rips are strong currents which run out to sea and can quickly drag people away from the shallows of the shoreline and out to deeper water.
They tend to flow at 1–2 mph but can reach 4–5 mph, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer.
The RNLI says that rips are particularly powerful in large surfs and are often found around river mouths, estuaries and man-made structures like piers and groynes.
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They are also apparently "notoriously difficult to spot".
Only sometimes identifiable by a channel of churning, choppy water on the
The RNLI urges swimmers to "choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags" to avoid the currents.
They also advise wearing a bright-coloured swimming hat and never swimming alone.
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If caught in a rip, they advise you do not
These warnings come following a
Met Eireann has not confirmed whether a storm will make landfall, but has warned that Monday will be unsettled with wet and breezy weather.
WEATHER WARNING
Some areas are expected to be hit harder by the bad
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Cathal Nolan, founder of Ireland's Weather Channel, warned winds are expected to be strong enough to cause disruption where they hit.
He said: "There's an increasing risk of some unseasonably strong winds on Monday, with northern areas currently most at risk.
"Much still depends upon the exact track and how the low-pressure system interacts with an active jet stream in the vicinity of Ireland."
He added: "It's too early to speculate of the exact strength of the winds the low pressure could generate, but they would be sufficient to cause disruption in the north."
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Met Eireann has issued an alert for "unseasonably strong" winds over the bank holiday
Credit: Meteologix
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Rips are often found around river mouths, estuaries and man-made structures like piers and groynes
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