Storm Bram: Derry council closes parks, cemeteries, sports facilities amid weather warnings

Following Met Office advice ahead of Storm Bram, with a yellow weather warning from 9:00 to 22:00 and an Amber warning from 14:00 to 19:00, the council said it will be closing all council-owned cemeteries as a precautionary measure, except for funerals. The council added that cemeteries will be assessed and reopened when it is safe to do so.

Council grass pitches and 3G pitches are closed due to the poor weather conditions. In terms of our outdoor sports facilities and courts these will also be closed and subject to inspections before reopening. User groups of these facilities will be contacted directly.

All Council parks, greenways and play areas are closed to the public today. The Council is also urging the public to avoid using open spaces and areas where there are trees. Inspections will be carried out before they are deemed safe to open, so please expect delays to reopening tomorrow.

Brooke Park Leisure Centre will be closed today with its users advised to use facilities at Templemore Sports Complex. Foyle Arena and Riversdale Leisure Centre are both closed today for planned staff training but all other leisure facilities remain open as normal.

For those travelling via City of Derry Airport the council advised the public to allow time for their journey to and from the airport and to check online in terms of flight arrival and departure times via the live website link at - https://www.cityofderryairport.com/flight-information/live-flight-information/

Refuse collection services will be operating as normal, although the council said to expect some delays and that there are some parts, particularly in rural areas, that may be difficult to access due to poor weather conditions. In the meantime, householders are advised to leave their bins out as normal making sure they are placed in a secure location.

Recycling centres will be open to the public, users are advised to use the facilities with caution and to cooperate fully with staff.

Following the escalation of the Storm Bram warning this morning, the Education Authority has discussed the situation with the Department. At this stage, it is not planned to issue general school closure notices.

Instead, school leaders are asked to monitor and assess the weather warnings in their areas and, if necessary, take local decisions.

Should customers experience a power cut they can check for updates at Powercheck NI (powercheck.nienetworks.co.uk) and report the fault online or call the NIE Networks Customer Helpline on 03457 643 643.