1000 homes still without power in Donegal

One thoussand homes in the northwest are still without power, following yesterday's storm, but are expected to be reconnected…

One thoussand homes in the northwest are still without power, following yesterday's storm, but are expected to be reconnected to the national grid later this evening, according to the ESB.

The north and the west of the country suffered most from the storm which hit the country last night with violent winds in excess of 90 m.p.h. and waves of up to 40 ft off some coastlines, bringing hazardous sea conditions and localised flooding.

Over 7,000 homes had initially been left without power.

In Derry, a truck-driver was killed when his articulated truck was blown off the Foyle Bridge in the city shortly after 2.30 p.m. yesterday. The man was killed instantly when his truck plunged more than 100 ft onto mudflats below. His name has not yet been released.

READ MORE

Another Derry truck-driver was injured when his vehicle overturned at the Faughan bridge on the Derry-Limavady road and crashed into a car.

In the Republic the storm resulted in some 7,000 householders in the north and west spending the night without electricity. ESB crews worked to repair fallen power lines but had to postpone repairs in Donegal as lightening and high winds hit the coast and the Inishowen peninsula between midnight and 3 am, making conditions hazardous for crew.

An ESB spokesman said this evening that 1000 homes, including pockets of areas in Co Mayo, are still without power but all homes should be connected later this evening.

In Northern Ireland, several hundred homes are still without power following yesterday's winds which reached up to 100 miles per hour in places. A spokeswoman for Northern Ireland Electricity said pockets of areas across the province are affected as faults are being repaired.  Engineers and linesmen have been working throughout the day and night but rain showers, sleet and winds so far today are hampering efforts. Customers should have power back on later today however, she said.

Mr Pat Clarke of Met Éireann said the storm would abate gradually today, with winds decreasing to light-moderate by evening. However, he said there could be further coastal flooding, with sea swells of 6-8 metres expected off the west and north coasts.

In Britain, winds of up to 125 mph (200 kph) hit Scotland and North England, killing two people and leaving tens of thousands without electricity: a driver was killed in eastern Scotland when a lorry rolled onto his car and another person was killed  in Dundee, Scotland but details have yet to be made available.

In Scotland, some 60,000 customers had lost power and repairs were delayed by the weather, which brought heavy rain and snow to some areas. A Spanish fishing trawler carrying 19 crew went missing overnight in rough waters about 120 miles (190 km) off the coast of Scotland, but was later spotted by a Royal Air Force (RAF) surveillance aircraft. In Northen Britain, the storm caused rivers to overflow and widespread damage.