THE REMNANTS of a hurricane led to record-breaking enormous waves hitting off the coast of Ireland earlier this week.
The tail-end of Hurricane Epsilon caused massive swells off the west coast of Ireland for around 24 hours on Wednesday, and while most would remain in their homes to wait out the storm, one daredevil surfer took to the waves.
In Mullaghmore, Sligo, waves hit highs of up to 18 meters, and elite surfer Conor Maguire rode the swells accompanied by a safety team-- and a Red Bull film crew.
Yo. This was Mullaghmore today. Hurricane Epsilon is absolutely delivering up and down European shores right now. 😱 @...
Posted by Red Bull Surfing on Wednesday, 28 October 2020
The daredevil, from Bundoran in County Donegal, told RTÉ News he had to take the unique opportunity, saying "there are only a handful of days like this one in your whole life".
Red Bull shared a video of the incredible spectacle, with Conor expertly skating along the surf despite the strength and size of the massive wave, with a safety team waiting nearby.
Taking to Facebook, a spokesperson for Red Bull said "Safe to say we've already got an XXL Ride of the Year contender".
The waves were caused by a depression in the Atlantic ocean, the remnants of the European Hurricane Epsilon, meteorologist Gerry Murphy explained to RTÉ News.
The low pressure caused "a significant sea swell" and "very high waves moving in close to the Irish coastline" from the south to the north, all along the western coast.
Despite the massive waves, however, the risk of land flooding is expected to remain low.
Wednesday's 18-metre waves smashed the previous record for the highest waves seen in Mullaghmore, County Sligo-- the previous record, in 2013, saw waves of up to 15 metres.
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