Tributes have been paid to a tourist who died after the caravan she was sleeping in was blown off a cliff during Storm Ali yesterday.

Elvira Ferrari, 56, was alone in the caravan at Clifden ecoBeach Camping and Caravan Park when the west of Ireland was battered by high winds on Wednesday.

The mother-of-three had just arrived from her native Switzerland for the trip and was looking forward at improving her English, friends said.

Shocking footage from the scene shows the devastating aftermath of the storm, with the caravan smashed into several pieces as the tide threatened to wash it out to sea.

Must crop all other people out of photo. Elvira Ferrari is the person second from left in blue trousers. Not for re-distribution Alexandra Williams Stop Press - News & Pictures T: 0033 6 09 79 61 54
Elvira Ferrari has been named as the woman killed after a caravan was blown off a cliff in Ireland (Picture: Stop Press)

Ms Ferrari’s friend, Rolf Weber, has expressed his distress at learning the terrible news.

Speaking from Switzerland, he said: ‘I am deeply shocked. This is just so tragic. I saw her two days before she left for Ireland in August.

‘She was excited about her trip. She was off to learn English. She wanted to travel more.’

Mr Weber last heard from Ms Ferrari on Sunday, when she explained that she had left for a three-day trip to Clifden in Co Galway after finishing her English studies.

Emergency services were called before 8am on Wednesday and shortly afterwards they discovered Ms Ferrari’s body on the beach after a brief search.

The scene in Claddaghduff, near Clifden in Co Galway where a woman died after her caravan was blown off a cliff in Storm Ali which has brought gusts of 91mph. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday September 19, 2018. Irish police said the body of a woman in her fifties was found after a search on the beach. See PA story WEATHER Ali. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Police discovered Elvira Ferrari’s body in Elvira Ferrari after a brief search on Wednesday morning (Picture: Niall Carson/PA)

The mother-of-three, who separated from her husband about 14 years ago, was a health worker who had done studies into Alzheimer’s disease.

She lived in an apartment in Steinmaur, in the canton of Zurich.

Ms Ferrari left for Ireland on August 26 for a five-week trip to attend an English language course and to go travelling – she had told friends she wanted to improve her English for her travels.

She was godmother to one of Mr Weber’s children.

The mountaineering guide said: ‘My wife will be devastated. They were good friends. We have known her for at least 25 years.

MORE : Man dies after getting hit by tree as Storm Ali claims its second victim

A man picks up debris at the scene in Claddaghduff, near Clifden in Co Galway where a woman died after her caravan was blown off a cliff in Storm Ali which has brought gusts of 91mph. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday September 19, 2018. Irish police said the body of a woman in her fifties was found after a search on the beach. See PA story WEATHER Ali. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire
A man picks up debris at the scene of the wreckage in Claddaghduff (Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire)

‘Our children went to school together. We all lived in the same building for six years in the suburbs of Zurich.’

Together with eight other hiking enthusiasts, the friends completed a seven-day 79km hiking trip in the Wanderungen Nationalpark just days before Ms Ferrari left for her trip.

‘She was very fit, she loved hiking. She did a lot of mountaineering,” Mr Weber added.

‘She didn’t travel out of Switzerland too much but did a lot of travel within.’

One of Ms Ferrari’s neighbour’s described the news of her death as ‘tragic’.

MORE : Terrifying moment plane struggles to land in Storm Ali amid warnings of more bad weather today

A man looks at debris at the scene in Claddaghduff, near Clifden in Co Galway where a woman died after her caravan was blown off a cliff in Storm Ali which has brought gusts of 91mph. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday September 19, 2018. Irish police said the body of a woman in her fifties was found after a search on the beach. See PA story WEATHER Ali. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire
A man looks at debris of the wreckage caused by Storm Ali (Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire)

A spokesman for Gardaí, the Irish police force, said: ‘At approximately 7.45am a report was received that a caravan had blown off the cliff at the above location.

‘A search was carried out at the scene on the beach and after a short time the body of a female in her 50s was recovered.

‘Her body is expected to be removed to University College Galway for a post-mortem examination. The local coroner has been notified.’

Storm Ali swept across the UK and Ireland on Wednesday, bringing wind speeds of more than 100mph and wreaking havoc on power supplies and roads.

A man in his 20s died after being hit by a falling tree as he worked in a country park in County Armagh on Wednesday afternoon.

A second man, aged in his 40s, was injured during the incident at Slieve Gullion Park and was taken to hospital.

Got a story for Metro.co.uk?

If you have a story for our news team, email us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.