Sonali Tiwary
Met Éireann’s Status Orange wind warning for Storm Boelo over Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, and Sligo is active through 9am on Sunday October 25—meaning it is still technically in effect when the Dublin Marathon’s first wave leaves at 8:45am. Since Storm Austen swept through Ireland earlier this week, the update from Boelo is what Met Éireann’s warning language says about already-damaged structures: damage is described as “expected,” not merely possible.
Met Éireann’s Status Orange wind warning for the five Atlantic counties runs from 2pm Saturday October 24 until 9am Sunday October 25, with gusts of up to 80mph forecast along the western coast. Dublin itself sits under a lower-level Yellow warning. The Irish Times reported the forecast conditions under the headline “It’s going to be a windy Dublin Marathon,” with marathon organizers issuing specific guidance to registered participants.
Bus Éireann suspended services on several routes Saturday and warned of continued disruption into Sunday. Irish Rail advised passengers to check services ahead of the weekend. Approximately 22,500 runners are registered for the 2026 Dublin Marathon.
Met Éireann’s official forecast for Boelo specifically referenced structures damaged by Storm Austen earlier in the week, describing damage from Boelo to already-weakened structures as “expected.” For Dublin Marathon participants, the more immediate concern is logistical: Sunday transport services run on reduced timetables while also managing storm disruption, which means travel to the start line and home after the race needs to be confirmed before Sunday morning, not assumed.
What’s changed since Storm Austen
Storm Austen brought damage across Connacht and Ulster—fallen trees, structural damage, and road closures that were still being cleared when Boelo was named. The cumulative damage risk is the reason Met Éireann’s language hardened for Boelo: structures already compromised by Austen face the second storm at reduced capacity.
The Dublin Marathon Wave 1 departs Leeson Street Lower at 8:45am, with wheelchair participants starting at 8:40am and subsequent waves at 9:05am, 9:25am and 9:45am. The Orange warning expires at 9am, fifteen minutes after Wave 1 starts. Race organizers confirmed the event would proceed and advised runners to bring warm layers and dress for wet and windy conditions.
Bus Éireann’s service suspensions Saturday covered several Connacht and Ulster intercity routes. Dublin Bus confirmed city services would run on a reduced Sunday timetable. Any storm-related delays compound the already-reduced Sunday frequency on bus and rail routes. Passengers traveling to Dublin from outside the capital should confirm their return service before the race starts rather than assuming a service will run on time.
The Orange warning for the five western counties expires at 9am, just after Wave 1 begins. That 9am expiry means the most severe phase of the storm is expected to have cleared the Atlantic counties by then—it does not guarantee Dublin conditions will have eased at exactly that moment.
The Status Orange warning for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, and Sligo expires at 9am Sunday October 25. Dublin Marathon runners should check Met Éireann’s live forecast before Sunday morning and confirm return transport before the race. Bus Éireann and Irish Rail will update their service pages as conditions allow.
