Two of the deceased, a man and woman, were killed in separate incidents when trees fell on their cars; the third person was killed in a chainsaw accident while he was trying to remove a downed tree.
Media outlets in the UK have compared Ophelia to the Great Storm of 1987, which hit the country exactly 30 years ago today and killed 22 people.
— The Invisible Man (@invisibleman_17) October 16, 2017
Though Ophelia was downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone Sunday, the distinction likely matters little to the Gaels in Ophelia's path. The storm has pounded the region with 70 mph wind gusts, including one gust of 119 mph recorded on Fastnet Island, off the southern coast of Ireland, the Weather Channel reported.
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) October 16, 2017
According to Met Éireann, the Irish Meteorological Service, the storm is expected to bring more "violent and destructive" winds, including flooding from heavy rains and storm surges.
The National Hurricane Center has predicted that Ophelia will drop between 2 to 3 inches of rain, with isolated totals nearing about 4 inches through Tuesday in western Ireland and nearby Scotland.
In response, the Emerald Isle has called for schools and colleges to be closed Tuesday. Public transportation such as ferries and flights have also been cancelled.
"I don't want anyone to think that this is anything other than a national emergency," Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, said in a press conference Monday.
The UK Met Office has also issued a wind amber warning for Northern Ireland, which indicates power outages and public transportation delays are possible.
According to ESB Networks, a utility provider, roughly 360,000 of its customers are currently without power due to Ophelia.
— Stephen Murphy (@SMurphyTV) October 16, 2017
"Stormy conditions may be tempting to watch, but big waves can easily knock you off your feet," the Japan Times reported Matt Crofts, a lifesaving manager with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, saying Monday. "We understand why people want to experience extreme weather, but it's not worth risking your life, so we strongly urge people to respect the water and watch from a safe distance."
Despite the warnings, social media reports show daredevils living it up on Ophelia's powerful winds and rough waters.
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) October 16, 2017
— The Invisible Man (@invisibleman_17) October 16, 2017
Over yonder on the mainland, residents were met with an orange sky due to debris that Ophelia brought into the region from wildfires in Portugal and Spain, including some sand from the Sahara Desert, according to reports.
Enki Research, a US-based disaster modeler, predicts Ophelia has the potential to cause upwards of $1.5 billion in damages in Ireland and more than $2.5 billion overall in the British Isles, ABC News reported.
