18,000 homes and businesses without power as repairs get under way

Status yellow rain warning was in effect for counties Wexford and Wicklow until 4am

Wednesday is set to be a bright, fresh day with sunny spells and scattered showers. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA
Wednesday is set to be a bright, fresh day with sunny spells and scattered showers. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA

About 18,000 properties concentrated in the west and southwest of the country were without power on Wednesday morning following heavy winds and rain.

ESB Networks said its crews had been deployed since first light to make repairs.

“Restoration efforts will endure throughout the day, with the vast majority of impacted customers expected to have supply restored by this evening,” it said in a statement early on Wednesday.

Those affected have been told to check ESB real-time information on power outages and urged people not to approach fallen wires or damaged electricity networks.

High winds and rain brought down trees and made travelling conditions difficult on Tuesday.

A status yellow rain warning for counties Wexford and Wicklow was in place until 4am.

Spells of heavy rain were expected, which the forecaster warned could lead to localised flooding, difficult travelling conditions, and poor visibility.

Other possible effects included wave overtopping and flooding on coasts due to a combination of spring tides, surge and very strong onshore winds.

Heavy rainfall caused surface flooding in parts of Cork City.

Travelling conditions were difficult with downed trees, branches and debris. The ESB advised anyone coming upon fallen wires to keep away.

Travelling conditions were also difficult due to heavy rain and poor visibility.

A yellow wind warning for all of Munster as well as counties Galway, Mayo and Sligo expired at 9pm on Tuesday and most of the power cuts were reported in the south of the country.

What Met Éireann described as “very strong and gusty south-easterly winds” led to power cuts for thousands of homes south of a line from Galway to Dublin.

The ESB Networks Power Check app showed widespread blackouts for properties from Portmagee in Co Kerry, through Crosshaven in Co Cork, Cork City, and as far east as Dublin and Arklow in Co Wicklow.

Faults recorded on the app were also showing multiple power cuts in counties Limerick, Tipperary and Kilkenny.

Dublin Fire Brigade reported a fallen tree at Malahide Road, Swords, Co Dublin, brought down power lines which then landed on a car.

Images from the brigade’s social media feed showed a car stationary in the road with the driver’s door open and a power cable across the roof.

The route was closed to traffic.

In Adamstown, west Dublin, the ESB was reporting more than 3,000 premises without power. A further 1,000 near Bray, Co Wicklow, were similarly affected.

ESB crews were working to reconnect homes as the faults occured, with the Power Check app providing estimated repair times stretching into Wednesday night.

ESB Networks said it would have more precise figures available later.

The utility provider said that while emergency repair crews have successfully restored supply to tens of thousands of premises over Tuesday, some homes – particularly in the south, west, and midlands – would remain without electricity overnight.

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Wednesday will be a bright, fresh day with a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers. Some of the showers will be heavy, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms.

Temperatures will range from 15 to 18 degrees. There will be moderate southerly winds, which will be fresher for a time in the west and northwest.

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Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist