Cyclone Christina was a

European windstorm European windstorms are powerful extratropical cyclones which form as cyclonic windstorms associated with areas of low atmospheric pressure. They can occur throughout the year, but are most frequent between October and March, with peak intensit ...

which caused three fatalities and €375 million in damage across western Europe in early January 2014, making landfall several days after Cyclone Anne. Forming out of a powerful nor'easter off the coast of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, Christina reached a peak intensity of as it crossed western Europe. The storm was more commonly referred to as Christine in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It was named Christina by the Free University Berlin on 3 January.

Meteorological synopsis

Christina began as an area of low pressure responsible for a

winter storm A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessar ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, unofficially named ''Hercules'' by The Weather Channel, a name which was also used in several European newspapers. The low explosively deepened before moving out over the Atlantic. A

Met Office The Meteorological Office, abbreviated as the Met Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is led by CEO Penelope E ...

spokeswoman said the storm developing in the Atlantic was "loosely connected to the weather system that caused the U.S. winter storm", explaining that as it moved over the Atlantic it would pick up moisture and warmth from the ocean which would change its character. Christine2013WH

Impact

England

Ireland

Christina affected Ireland on the 175th anniversary of one of the worst storms of the last 500 years in the country, the Night of the Big Wind of 6 January 1839. The Irish

Marine Institute The Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, popularly referred to as the Marine Institute (MI) or simply Marine, is a post-secondary ocean and marine polytechnic located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

recorded waves nearly 12 metres on 6 January on its M6 buoy on the Porcupine Bank off the north-west of Ireland, and off the coast of

Belmullet Belmullet (, IPA: �bʲeːlənˠˈwʊɾˠhəd̪ˠ is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of 1,019 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony (Ireland), barony of Erris, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is the commercial and cul ...

, Co. Mayo.

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

city saw coastal flooding along the coast at Spanish Arch, the Fishmarket and Docks, with Grattan road closed. Salthill Promenade and Seapoint in the city were closed. In Galway the River Corrib burst its banks near to Spanish Arch, but saw no major flooding. Junior Minister Brian Hayes said Galway's application for flood relief funding from the

Office of Public Works The Office of Public Works (OPW) ( ga, Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí) (legally the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland) is a major Irish Government agency, which manages most of the Irish State's property portfolio, including hundreds of ow ...

would be dealt with rapidly. A shipwreck featured in the opening credits of the comedy series

Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews (writer), Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until ...

, the ship on

Inis Oirr Inisheer ( ga, Inis Oírr , or ) is the smallest and most easterly of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland. With 281 residents as of the 2016 census, it is second-most populous of the Arans. Caomhán of Inis Oírr is the island's ...

was damaged and moved for the first time since 1991 by the storm. The smallest of the Aran islands also bore the brunt of the storm, where the high seas pounded the coast and the lighthouse was damaged. In County Clare "Christina" caused widespread damage, not due to high winds but due to high swells. Damage was reported from

Loop Head Loop Head (), is a headland on the north side of the mouth of the River Shannon, in County Clare in the west of Ireland. Loop Head is marked by a prominent lighthouse. The opposite headland on the south side of the Shannon is Kerry Head. The Sh ...

, while the seafront in Lahinch and Liscannor was again severely hit. Road flooding due to swells was reported from Clahane, Doolin,

Ballyvaughan Ballyvaughan or Ballyvaghan () is a small harbour village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located on the N67 road on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren. This position on the coast road and the close proximity ...

Doonbeg Doonbeg () is a village in west County Clare, Ireland on the Atlantic coast. The surrounding natural environment has supported its development as a tourist resort. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaeltacht, an Irish-s ...

Kilbaha Kilbaha () is a small fishing village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located close to the western end of the Loop Head peninsula on the R487 road. History According to ''Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland 1845'' the village had a population ...

and

Carrigaholt Carrigaholt () is a small fishing village in County Clare, Ireland, a castle and a Catholic parish by the same name. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaeltacht; an Irish-speaking community; until 1956. Location Carriga ...

. At Rhosbeigh County Kerry the storm unearthed and moved the shipwreck of the buried since 1903, which was scheduled to be reburied by the National Monuments Service.

Aftermath

Initial estimates of the costs of repair in Ireland estimated that the total bill to local authorities could exceed €100m.

Clare County Council Clare County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae an Chláir) is the authority responsible for local government in County Clare, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and ...

, thought to be the worst hit area, estimated costs for remedial work will cost €23.7 million. The county manager told the council in an emergency meeting the bill was beyond the financial capability of the council. Initial assessments by

Kerry County Council Kerry County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Chiarraí) is the authority responsible for local government in County Kerry, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and c ...

estimated damage to infrastructure at €3.5 million, with an additional €16 million cost for coastal protection works. Estimates from Waterford were at €7 million, Cork County €5 million, Dublin City Council €100,000 and Galway City €1.5million (in the city only). Galway County, Donegal, Mayo, Sligo and Wexford were yet to release initial cost assessments. The combined costs to Clare and Kerry councils was estimated at €46 million, with €5.8 million costs in the village of Lahinch alone.

Meteorological synopsis

Impact

England

Ireland

Aftermath

References

External links