Some 11,000 electricity customers remained without power on Saturday evening as a result of Storm Bert, and further power disruptions may happen as the weather system moves slowly across the county, ESB Networks has said.
Those who remain disconnected are predominantly in areas worst hit by the storm, including counties Donegal, Sligo, Mayo and Galway.
ESB Networks said while most customers currently without power will have their supply restored by Saturday night, further power outages may happen on Sunday and Monday as Storm Bert continues.
Met Éireann has issued a series of further warning for Sunday and Monday as follows:
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• A status yellow wind warning which applies until 2am on Sunday is currently in place for Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow;
• A status yellow wind warning is in place for Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo from 8am Sunday to 2am Monday;
• A status yellow wind warning for Donegal has been issued for Donegal from 8am Sunday to 8am Monday;
• A status yellow wind warning is in place for Clare, Kerry and Galway from 8am to 7pm on Sunday;
• In Northern Ireland the UK Met Office has issued a status yellow wind warning for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry. It is valid from 11am to 6pm on Sunday.
The worst of the weather so far appears to have struck the northwest, with more than 3,000 people in Carndonagh and Dungloe among those not expected to have electricity restored until Saturday night.
In Killybegs, Co Donegal, the town was flooded after a fallen tree blocked a local river. A video shared by business owner Mairéad Ó Hagan Anderson shows Bridge Street under about two feet of water.
Thomas Pringle, a TD for the area, said his constituency office on Bridge Street, along with several homes and businesses were flooded. “My thoughts are with everyone impacted,” Mr Pringle said.
On Achill Island some 248 electricity customers were told it may be 9.30pm before their power would be restored. Five houses were evacuated in the Clifden area of Co Galway as the Owenglen river overflowed.
Four large mudslides took place on different roads surrounding the village of Leenane, Co Galway, the largest of which closed the Leenane to Maam road. Roads were also closed in the in Belclare, Kilconly and near Athenry in the east of the county.
In Co Clare the N67 road north of Lisdoonvarna, between Toovareragh Church and Killeany junction, was closed due to flooding.
In Limerick the river Feale overflowed its banks at Abbeyfeale. There was also flooding on the river Galey between Newcastle West, Co Limerick, and Listowel, Co Kerry.
In Co Kerry flooding was reported in Tralee near the Rose Hotel. The N22 at Glenflesk was flooded, as are roads at Fossa village, Glenbeigh, as well as the N71 near Kenmare and localised flooding in Killarney.
Rebecca Mullen of The Flour House bakery in Riverstick, Co Cork, said that Storm Babet flooded the bakery last October, and the bakery had been flooded again by Storm Bert.
Also in Cork the river Allow burst its banks, closing the R579. However, Mallow and Fermoy appear to have escaped the inundations of previous years following the installation of flood defence systems by the Office of Public Works.
Irish Rail has said there was disruption on Dublin to Belfast services due to flooding between Newry and Lurgan. The company said there were also delays to early Westport and Sligo to Dublin services.
Bus Éireann cancelled a range of services in the south and west, and weekend travellers were advised to check with transport providers’ websites before setting out.
Monaghan County Council is reporting significant localised flooding with some roads blocked by fallen trees. Anyone travelling is advised to do so with care.
Dublin Airport said some flights were delayed due to wind. Cork Airport remained open but one flight from Birmingham was diverted to Shannon due to high winds.
On the east coast Irish Ferries’ sailings between Rosslare and Pembroke were cancelled. Irish Ferries said passengers can be accommodated on the Dublin-Holyhead route.
As Met Éireann forecasts the storm to remain the dominant feature of the weather over the weekend, ESB Networks said the numbers of premises without power had reached 60,000 at its peak and “further power outages can be expected”.
