It was so stormy on the Irish Sea during Storm Isha that the shipping forecast had put the weather conditions just one notch away from being categorised as hurricane force, it has emerged.

While on land, Storm Isha interrupted electricity supplies to about 50,000 residential customers and businesses, in addition numerous roads had been made impassable to motorists due to debris and fallen poles and trees.

One motorist died as a result of a collision with a collapsed tree.

Flights mainly at Belfast City Airport, located on the south side of Belfast Harbour, saw a large number cancelled and with some air-planes diverted. While on the Irish Sea, ferry firm Stena Line which was operating the E-Flexer class Stena Estrid was forced to circle off Belfast Lough for several hours as Afloat tracked before it could approach the Ulster coast and berth at the port.

According to the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) which told the News Letter, that the shipping forecast at the time indicated conditions up to and including “violent storm 11” on the Beaufort Scale.

This weather system which is a kind of maritime Richter Scale, is used to estimate the severity of wind strength and wave heights.

"It only goes up to 12,” said Ian Graham of the MCA, adding that such a state is “unusual” and he added the next stage up from “violent storm 11” on the Beauford scale is “hurricane”.

More here on the weather successive storms.