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Storm Ali sets wind record, kills at least 1 in Northern Ireland

By Nicholas Sakelaris
A major incident was delcared in Dumfries and Galloway in Scottland in the aftermath of Storm Ali. Photo courtesy Dumfries & Galloway Virtual Operations Support Team//Twitter
A major incident was delcared in Dumfries and Galloway in Scottland in the aftermath of Storm Ali. Photo courtesy Dumfries & Galloway Virtual Operations Support Team//Twitter

Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Wind gusts as strong as 91 mph lashed Ireland Wednesday morning, knocking out power to thousands and blowing a camper off a cliff, killing the woman inside.

Storm Ali, the first named storm to hit the United Kingdom this season, knocked out power to 200,000 homes in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

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An amber warning, which means lives could be at risk, was issued for Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern Britain.

A 91-mph wind gust recorded in Killowen County Down set a new record for Northern Ireland. In County Galway, rescuers found the body of a woman in her 50s who was sleeping inside a camper when it flew over a cliff.

Fallen tree limbs have closed several major roads.

The storm's effects are also being felt in Scotland, where a train on the Highland Main Line hit fallen tree limbs and then derailed.

Meteorologist Bonnie Diamond said heavy rains will continue Thursday with showers and some sunshine returning by Friday.

Storm Helene hit Wales on Tuesday but it was a U.S. named storm that started out as a hurricane.

The trend of giving storms names started in the United States. The United Kingdom started naming storms in 2014 as a way to help the public track storms and make people more aware of their severity.

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