A woman has been left stranded on a ferry for 13 hours after strong winds caused by Storm Darragh made docking in Ireland impossible.
Eileen Roberts, 52, and her husband were on their way back from London to Belfast last night when their journey was thrown into chaos.
The couple were meant to catch a Stena Line from the English capital last night, which was then cancelled, meaning they had to rush all the way to Scotland to board another ferry at 11.30pm instead.
But just two hours into their journey, the captain announced they were unable to dock at Belfast Port due to the high winds.
Ms Roberts and her husband have been stranded for more than 13 hours, while the ferry has been doing loops off the Belfast coast.
To make matters worse, the 52-year-old fears she and her husband may miss a Christmas party they had planned to attend tonight, as they have no idea when they will make land.
Ms Roberts told Sky News she has had just one hours sleep after a ‘scary’ and ‘unsettling’ night spent onboard.
She added they may be forced to spend another evening on the ferry as it is unlikely they will dock ‘anytime soon’.
A woman has been left stranded on a Stena Line ferry for 13 hours after strong winds caused by Storm Darragh made docking in Ireland impossible (Stock image)
The ferry has been doing loops off the Belfast coast since Friday night after the captain announced they were unable to dock at Belfast Port due to the high winds
Eileen Roberts and her husband revealed on Facebook that her and her husband are on board the ferry
Ms Roberts told Sky News: ‘I’m fine we’re just waiting to get into Belfast but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be anytime soon. The boat is stable but it does look choppy outside.
‘During the night, it was pretty black and we couldn’t see what was going on and it was more unsettling.
‘I’ve only had one hours sleep, it’s just so uncomfortable
‘We can see outside now and yes it is rough out there but the ship itself is calm inside.’
She continued: ‘We’ve got a family and friends party for tonight but I am not entirely sure if my husband and I will be able to make it.
‘We might be spending the evening with the passengers onboard.’
Earlier today Eileen posted on Facebook about her gruelling journey. She wrote: ‘Currently aboard Stena Superfast VII…coming into Belfast Lough ship turned and captain announced it’s too unsafe to come into Belfast.
‘Going round in circles for a few hours I suspect…’
The Met Office has issued yellow and amber warnings across Britain on Saturday
CORNWALL: Huge waves whipped up by gale force winds from Storm Darragh crash against the cliffs at Sennen Cove in Cornwall
LEEDS: A plane lands at Leeds Bradford Airport during Storm Darragh
Authorities have warned people to undertake only essential travel as Storm Darragh continues to lash Northern Ireland.
Trains and some bus services were suspended and nearly 50,000 customers left without power as high winds caused severe damage to the electricity network.
A bus was involved in a road crash in Co Antrim in the early hours of Saturday, while Stena Line ferry services from Belfast to Cairnryan in Scotland have been cancelled.
The Department for Infrastructure said multi-agency partners have been meeting in response to the Met Office’s amber weather warning for wind which remains in place until 9pm.
In a statement, the Stormont department urged people to make only essential travel because road conditions are challenging.
They said disruption to bus and train services as well as some flights was continuing on Saturday afternoon and the Strangford ferry has been suspended until further notice.
‘Translink have taken steps to mitigate against the effects of Storm Darragh. Additional buses are on standby. Additional support and teams are also on standby, including chainsaw crews, to assist with any fallen debris blocking the railway,’ a department spokesman said.
‘If roads are blocked, it may be necessary to divert Ulsterbus or Goldliner services.
NORTHERN IRELAND: An Airport bus has crashed into a property on the Ballyrobin Road near Antrim in Northern Ireland
NORTHERN IRELAND: A huge tree blocks the slip road to the M1 to Belfast in Ballycare
PORTHCAWL: High winds have ripped off a roof and caused damage to a building in Porthcawl, South Wales
‘Safety is Translink’s number one priority. All passengers should check the Translink Journey Planner or social media channels in advance of travel and to allow extra time for their journeys.
‘Department for Infrastructure staff have been working through the night to respond to approximately 900 incidents which are mainly debris on the roads, fallen trees and branches and flooding.’
A Translink spokesperson said a driver on the bus involved in the collision in Co Antrim had been the only person on board at the time and was taken to hospital for treatment.
‘We can confirm that the driver has since been discharged from hospital,’ they said.
‘Our immediate priority is the welfare of our colleague, and we are providing support to them and their family. An internal investigation is under way, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to establish the circumstances of the incident.’
A number of roads, including Castle Street in Belfast city centre, were closed on Saturday morning while clean-up work was carried out.
Some events in Northern Ireland, including three Irish League football clashes and a planned vigil in Belfast for the women of Afghanistan have been called off, while the Apprentice Boys of Derry shutting of the gates event in Londonderry is still set to go ahead.