A team of rowers fundraising for motor neurone disease research stopped in Portavogie, Co Down, early Tuesday to avoid an incoming storm.

The ROW4MND crew - Aaron Kneebone, Gareth Timmins, Mike Bates, and Matt Parker - departed Wales on Saturday morning. They row in shifts around the clock across the Irish Sea toward Scotland's Western Isles.

The group berthed their five-metre boat at 3am after nearly four days at sea. They planned a 10-day journey but now wait in Northern Ireland for safer conditions.

Co-founder Mike Bates stated that crew safety comes first in pitch-black conditions with storms, and they must adapt quickly. He noted holding a distress flare ready at one point and praised the team's effort so far.

Co-founder Matt Parker said the challenge involves rough seas and fatigue, but the goal remains funding MND research since one in 300 people face the incurable illness.

Bates added frustration at the delay but confidence in resuming with expert guidance once the storm passes.

The crew targets £57 million through four challenges by 2028, including a future transatlantic row, to support MND treatment and cure efforts.