Storm Ophelia made<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/hurricane-ophelia-493"> landfall in Ireland today as</a> high winds and heavy rains hit the country.

Three people were killed as storm Ophelia made landfall in Ireland.

One woman died when a tree apparently toppled onto her car, a man was killed in an accident while trying to clear a fallen tree with a chainsaw.

A second man was also killed by a tree falling onto his vehicle, AFP reported.

Around 170 flights from Ireland&#39;s two main airports at Dublin and Shannon were cancelled.

The armed forces were sent to bolster flood defences, public transport services and hospitals were closed and schools across Ireland and Northern Ireland will remain shut for a second day on Tuesday.

Earlier, storm Ophelia sparked wildfires in northern and central Portugal in which at least 31 people were killed.

The storm, downgraded from a hurricane overnight is&nbsp;the worst to hit Ireland in half a century.

It made landfall after 10:40 am&nbsp;(0940 GMT), the Irish National Meteorological Service said, with winds as strong as 176 kph (110 mph) hitting the most southerly tip of the country.

Three people died as Tropical Storm Ophelia battered Ireland's southern coast on Monday

Storm Ophelia made landfall in Ireland today as high winds and heavy rains hit the country. Three people were killed as storm Ophelia made landfall in Ireland. One woman died when a tree apparently toppled onto her car, a man was killed in an accident while trying to clear a fallen tree with a chainsaw. A second man was also killed by a tree falling onto his vehicle, AFP reported. Around 170 flights from Ireland's two main airports at Dublin and Shannon were cancelled. The armed forces were sent to bolster flood defences, public transport services and hospitals were closed and schools across Ireland and Northern Ireland will remain shut for a second day on Tuesday. Earlier, storm Ophelia sparked wildfires in northern and central Portugal in which at least 31 people were killed. The storm, downgraded from a hurricane overnight is the worst to hit Ireland in half a century. It made landfall after 10:40 am (0940 GMT), the Irish National Meteorological Service said, with winds as strong as 176 kph (110 mph) hitting the most southerly tip of the country.

Hurricane Ophelia makes landfall in Ireland, 3 dead

Wildfires whipped by strong wind gusts spawned by Hurricane Ophelia burned across northwestern Spain on Sunday, leaving three people dead, officials said.

Fifteen separate wildfires which posed a risk to built-up areas were raging across the region of Galicia, the head of the regional government, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, said.

The flames were being fanned by wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres (55 miles) per hour as Hurricane Ophelia moved north off the coast of Spain towards Ireland, he told private television La Sexta.

&quot;The situation is critical,&quot; he said.

Feijoo said &quot;thousands&quot; of firefighters, soldiers and locals were battling the blazes, which were fueled by drought conditions and unusually high temperatures for this time of the year.

&quot;We have not had a situation like this in the past decade. We have never deployed so many means at this time of the year,&quot; he said.

Two people died after they became trapped by flames in their van near the town of Nigran as they tried to flee the area, the deputy mayor of Nigran, Raquel Giraldez, told AFP.

An elderly man was found in a shed behind his house in the town of Carballeda de Avia that was engulfed by flames, regional government officials said.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who is from Galicia, expressed his condolences to the victims in a Twitter message.

Five wildfires were raging near Vigo, Galicia&#39;s biggest city, forcing the evacuation of a shopping mall and a PSA Peugeot Citroen factory on the outskirts of the city.

The flames had reached O Castro, a large hilltop park in the heart of Vigo with sweeping views of the city&#39;s estuary, Spanish public television TVE reported.

Images broadcast on Spanish TV showed local residents, their mouths and noses covered with handkerchiefs, battling the flames with buckets and pans of water.

Vigo mayor Abel Caballero appealed for calm and urged local residents to shut their windows to keep out the smoke which was engulfing the city.

&quot;We are making a huge effort, the fires near homes are being brought under control, with much help from locals,&quot; he told TVE.

The city of around 300,000 residents has opened up two sports centres and booked rooms in three hotels for people who were forced to evacuate their homes.

At least 10 schools cancelled classes on Monday in Vigo because of the flames, local officials said.

&#39;Intentional fires&#39;&nbsp;

Spanish state-owned rail operator Renfe said it had cancelled a train linking Vigo to Barcelona because of the wildfires.

Several roads in Galicia were closed because of the flames, local officials said.

Feijoo said arsonists were to blame for many of the blazes.

&quot;They are absolutely intentional fires, meditated, caused by people who know what they are doing,&quot; he told reporters.

The national weather office is forecasting rain and cooler temperatures in Galicia beginning early on Monday which officials hope will help put out the flames.

Meteorologists say Ophelia is the most powerful hurricane recorded so far east in the Atlantic and the first since 1939 to travel so far north.

When it reaches Ireland on Monday it is expected to weaken to a &quot;post-tropical storm&quot;, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Fifteen separate wildfires which posed a risk to built-up areas were raging across the region of Galicia, the head of the regional government, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, said

Wildfires whipped by strong wind gusts spawned by Hurricane Ophelia burned across northwestern Spain on Sunday, leaving three people dead, officials said. Fifteen separate wildfires which posed a risk to built-up areas were raging across the region of Galicia, the head of the regional government, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, said. The flames were being fanned by wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres (55 miles) per hour as Hurricane Ophelia moved north off the coast of Spain towards Ireland, he told private television La Sexta. "The situation is critical," he said. Feijoo said "thousands" of firefighters, soldiers and locals were battling the blazes, which were fueled by drought conditions and unusually high temperatures for this time of the year. "We have not had a situation like this in the past decade. We have never deployed so many means at this time of the year," he said. Two people died after they became trapped by flames in their van near the town of Nigran as they tried to flee the area, the deputy mayor of Nigran, Raquel Giraldez, told AFP. An elderly man was found in a shed behind his house in the town of Carballeda de Avia that was engulfed by flames, regional government officials said. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who is from Galicia, expressed his condolences to the victims in a Twitter message. Five wildfires were raging near Vigo, Galicia's biggest city, forcing the evacuation of a shopping mall and a PSA Peugeot Citroen factory on the outskirts of the city. The flames had reached O Castro, a large hilltop park in the heart of Vigo with sweeping views of the city's estuary, Spanish public television TVE reported. Images broadcast on Spanish TV showed local residents, their mouths and noses covered with handkerchiefs, battling the flames with buckets and pans of water. Vigo mayor Abel Caballero appealed for calm and urged local residents to shut their windows to keep out the smoke which was engulfing the city. "We are making a huge effort, the fires near homes are being brought under control, with much help from locals," he told TVE. The city of around 300,000 residents has opened up two sports centres and booked rooms in three hotels for people who were forced to evacuate their homes. At least 10 schools cancelled classes on Monday in Vigo because of the flames, local officials said. 'Intentional fires' Spanish state-owned rail operator Renfe said it had cancelled a train linking Vigo to Barcelona because of the wildfires. Several roads in Galicia were closed because of the flames, local officials said. Feijoo said arsonists were to blame for many of the blazes. "They are absolutely intentional fires, meditated, caused by people who know what they are doing," he told reporters. The national weather office is forecasting rain and cooler temperatures in Galicia beginning early on Monday which officials hope will help put out the flames. Meteorologists say Ophelia is the most powerful hurricane recorded so far east in the Atlantic and the first since 1939 to travel so far north. When it reaches Ireland on Monday it is expected to weaken to a "post-tropical storm", according to the US National Hurricane Center.

3 dead as Hurricane Ophelia fans wildfires in Spain

Schools were closed Monday as Ireland braced for an &quot;unprecedented storm&quot;, with authorities warning that violent winds, rain and storm surges could pose a risk to life.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/ireland-braces-for-worst-atlantic-storm-ophelia-6054">Ophelia, the largest hurricane ever recorded</a> so far east in the Atlantic Ocean, was downgraded to a storm before it hit the Irish coast but the Met Eireann national weather service warned people to remain indoors.

&quot;Ex-hurricane Ophelia is forecast to track directly over Ireland during daytime today. Violent and destructive gusts are forecast with all areas at risk,&quot; the service said early Monday.

It warned of &quot;heavy rain and storm surges along some coasts will result in flooding. There is a potential risk to lives&quot;.

The education ministry said &quot;all schools, colleges and other educational institutions&quot; would be closed on Monday, after official advice on what it called an &quot;unprecedented storm&quot;.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Sunday that defence forces would be deployed to areas due to be hit by the storm.

Cork airport in the southwest cancelled a number of flights. Speed restrictions were placed on trains, and some lines in the south were cancelled.&nbsp;

Government offices were also closed across the country.

Met Eireann issued a nationwide &quot;status red&quot; alert, while a less serious amber wind warning has been issued for Northern Ireland during the afternoon.

&quot;By the time Ophelia reaches our latitudes, she will be weakening and will be an ex-hurricane,&quot; said Steve Ramsdale, chief forecaster at Britain&#39;s Met Office national weather service.

&quot;However, Ex-Ophelia will be bringing some significant impacts to Northern Ireland and western and northern Britain on Monday and Tuesday.&quot;

Scotland, Wales and parts of England were under yellow warnings issued by the Met Office, which forecast &quot;very strong winds&quot; and heavy rain in some areas.

The storm came 30 years to the day of the Great Storm, which ravaged southern England in the early hours of October 16, 1987, leaving 18 people dead.

High Alert

Ophelia is the 15th named storm of the 2017 Atlantic season, which is expected to last until the end of November.

Three major hurricanes -- Harvey, Irma and Maria -- caused catastrophic damage in the Caribbean and the US Gulf Coast.

Meteorologists say Ophelia was the most powerful hurricane recorded so far east in the Atlantic and the first since 1939 to travel so far north.

It was classed Category 3 on Saturday as it passed near Portugal&#39;s Azores islands, which means it packed winds of at least 178 kilometres (110 miles) per hour.

When Ophelia reaches Ireland on Monday it was expected to weaken to a &quot;powerful extra-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds&quot;, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Matt Crofts, a lifesaving manager with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, said the seas could be &quot;particularly dangerous and unpredictable&quot;.

&quot;Stormy conditions may be tempting to watch but big waves can easily knock you off your feet,&quot; he said.

&quot;We understand why people want to experience extreme weather, but it&#39;s not worth risking your life, so we strongly urge people to respect the water and watch from a safe distance.&quot;

Seven of the nine islands in the Azores were put on high alert for the storm&#39;s passage, but it did not cause major damage, authorities told reporters.

In Spain, three people have died in wildfires whipped by strong wind gusts spawned by Hurricane Ophelia.

Six people have also died in wildfires in Portugal, which local authorities said had been exacerbated by drought.

Ophelia, the largest hurricane ever recorded so far east in the Atlantic Ocean, was downgraded to a storm before it hit the Irish coast but the Met Eireann national weather service warned people to remain indoors

Schools were closed Monday as Ireland braced for an "unprecedented storm", with authorities warning that violent winds, rain and storm surges could pose a risk to life. Ophelia, the largest hurricane ever recorded so far east in the Atlantic Ocean, was downgraded to a storm before it hit the Irish coast but the Met Eireann national weather service warned people to remain indoors. "Ex-hurricane Ophelia is forecast to track directly over Ireland during daytime today. Violent and destructive gusts are forecast with all areas at risk," the service said early Monday. It warned of "heavy rain and storm surges along some coasts will result in flooding. There is a potential risk to lives". The education ministry said "all schools, colleges and other educational institutions" would be closed on Monday, after official advice on what it called an "unprecedented storm". Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Sunday that defence forces would be deployed to areas due to be hit by the storm. Cork airport in the southwest cancelled a number of flights. Speed restrictions were placed on trains, and some lines in the south were cancelled. Government offices were also closed across the country. Met Eireann issued a nationwide "status red" alert, while a less serious amber wind warning has been issued for Northern Ireland during the afternoon. "By the time Ophelia reaches our latitudes, she will be weakening and will be an ex-hurricane," said Steve Ramsdale, chief forecaster at Britain's Met Office national weather service. "However, Ex-Ophelia will be bringing some significant impacts to Northern Ireland and western and northern Britain on Monday and Tuesday." Scotland, Wales and parts of England were under yellow warnings issued by the Met Office, which forecast "very strong winds" and heavy rain in some areas. The storm came 30 years to the day of the Great Storm, which ravaged southern England in the early hours of October 16, 1987, leaving 18 people dead. High Alert Ophelia is the 15th named storm of the 2017 Atlantic season, which is expected to last until the end of November. Three major hurricanes -- Harvey, Irma and Maria -- caused catastrophic damage in the Caribbean and the US Gulf Coast. Meteorologists say Ophelia was the most powerful hurricane recorded so far east in the Atlantic and the first since 1939 to travel so far north. It was classed Category 3 on Saturday as it passed near Portugal's Azores islands, which means it packed winds of at least 178 kilometres (110 miles) per hour. When Ophelia reaches Ireland on Monday it was expected to weaken to a "powerful extra-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds", according to the US National Hurricane Center. Matt Crofts, a lifesaving manager with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, said the seas could be "particularly dangerous and unpredictable". "Stormy conditions may be tempting to watch but big waves can easily knock you off your feet," he said. "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." Seven of the nine islands in the Azores were put on high alert for the storm's passage, but it did not cause major damage, authorities told reporters. In Spain, three people have died in wildfires whipped by strong wind gusts spawned by Hurricane Ophelia. Six people have also died in wildfires in Portugal, which local authorities said had been exacerbated by drought.

Ireland closes schools as major storm approaches