Orange-level warnings for flooding and “intense rain” associated with Storm Austen have been issued for six counties in the Republic of Ireland. The escalated advisory comes on top of a nationwide Yellow-level warning for wind and rain between 7pm on Thursday and 10am on Friday. Met Éireann said Storm Austen will bring heavy rain spreading eastwards across the country. It said: “Strong easterly winds will back north-westerly and strengthen further, especially in the south and south-east.”
It warned of impacts to outdoor events, localised flooding and some fallen trees. For the Orange warnings, Met Éireann said flooding is expected and impacts will include very difficult travelling conditions and disruption to public transport. The expected onset of the first Orange warning is 10pm on Thursday, ending 5am the next day for Cork, Kerry and Waterford overlapping with a similar advisory for Dublin, Wexford, and Wicklow between 2am and 8am on Friday.
The UK Met Office forecast for Northern Ireland says it will be “breezy with rain early Friday clearing to mostly dry conditions and sunny spells”. It added: “Spells of heavy rain over the weekend with winds strengthening and bringing a risk of gales.” Catch up with the latest UTV Live on ITVX Sign up for our free weekly newsletter here. Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
ITV News headlines an Orange flood and rain warning for Northern Ireland, but the body places the Orange warnings in six counties of the Republic of Ireland and gives Northern Ireland a forecast of rain clearing to mostly dry weather. The article also reports expected flooding and intense rain without a word that warming makes heavy rainfall more frequent and more severe.
Headline goes beyond the article
Serious
“Orange flood and rain warning for Northern Ireland”
Why this matters
The headline places an Orange flood and rain warning in Northern Ireland.
The impression it gives
A reader believes Northern Ireland is under an Orange-level flood and rain warning.
The context
The body says the Orange warnings were issued for six counties in the Republic of Ireland: Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow. For Northern Ireland it gives only a Met Office forecast of breezy weather with rain clearing to mostly dry conditions and sunny spells. No Orange warning for Northern Ireland appears anywhere in the article.
How we know
Elsewhere in the article“have been issued for six counties in the Republic of Ireland”
Elsewhere in the article“breezy with rain early Friday clearing to mostly dry conditions and sunny spells”
Elsewhere in the article“for Cork, Kerry and Waterford overlapping with a similar advisory for Dublin, Wexford, and Wicklow”
Orange flood and rain warnings for six Irish counties as Storm Austen rolls in; Northern Ireland faces rain clearing to drier weather on Friday.
Leaves out the climate link
Serious
“flooding is expected and impacts will include very difficult travelling conditions and disruption to public transport”
Why this matters
ITV News reports expected flooding from intense rain and its effects on travel, and stops there.
The impression it gives
A reader takes the storm's heavy rain and flooding as ordinary weather, with nothing to do with a warming climate.
The context
Human-caused warming has made heavy rainfall more frequent and more severe. The article never once says so, not even in a single line.
How we know
On the recordThat warming has made hot extremes, heavy rainfall, agricultural and ecological drought, fire weather and intense tropical cyclones more frequent or more severe.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)
Elsewhere in the article“Orange-level warnings for flooding and “intense rain””
Met Éireann said flooding is expected and will bring very difficult travelling conditions. Climate change is making heavy rainfall like this more frequent and more intense.