Irish Sea ferry weather conditions
Storms impact ferry operations on the Irish Sea by causing delays, cancellations, and reroutes. In early 2025, many ferries between Dublin and Holyhead on the Irish Sea were cancelled due to bad weather. One of the vessels was even damaged, and the Holyhead port was closed for months. That’s probably the worst possible situation for the weather on this ferry crossing, which is extremely rare.
All ferry routes in the Irish Sea
Ferries on routes such as Holyhead–Dublin, Liverpool–Dublin, and Cairnryan–Belfast are exposed to strong winds from the West. Winter months see frequent gale-force winds, often exceeding 60 km/h, which increases wave heights and reduces visibility. Some vessels are designed to operate in rough conditions, but extreme weather still forces adjustments.
Operators monitor weather forecasts and issue service updates when conditions exceed safe operating limits (also a lot by X or Twitter). Passengers on affected routes are advised to check for updates before travelling.
Overview of the waves on the Irish Sea
Are the waves too strong and reaching a red or white status?
Check out the travel updates of the official companies of the ferry crossing:
- Irish Ferries: For the latest sailing updates, including weather disruptions and cancellations, visit their Sailing Updates page.
- Stena Line: Access 24-hour ferry sailing updates, including weather-related changes, on their Latest Sailing Updates page.
- P&O Ferries: Find the most recent updates on sailings, weather conditions, and cancellations on their Service Updates page.
- Isle of Man Steam Packet Company: Check for updates on sailings, including weather-related information, on their Service Updates page.
Wind at The Irish Sea
Storm at the Irish Sea
In 2025, Storm Eowyn was one of the strongest storms to hit the Irish Sea and also influenced many ferry routes:
The storm killed one and has cut power to homes, grounded hundreds of flights and forced public transport to come to a standstill. Officials have closed schools and warned people to stay indoors.
Source: dw.com
Check out the Storm Radar
5-Day Weather Forecast
Irish Sea Weather Forecast
Temperature has little to no effect on whether a ferry sails in the Irish Sea. Only strong winds and severe storms impact the schedule.
All Irish Sea Ferry Routes we Track with on Ferryweather.com:
⛈️ Irish Sea Storm Gossip
How was your experience with stormy weather on the Irish Sea? Feel free to ask us questions here about ferry company cancellations; we talk with them regularly.