The second storm to hit the Republic within four days may not have been as ferocious as the gales on St Stephen's Day, but it severely hampered clean-up and repair operations. It also brought serious flooding and more power cuts in many parts of the south.
The combination of high winds and lightning caused a further 3,000 homes in Munster to lose electricity, adding to difficulties for the 1,000 strong ESB emergency repairs workforce attempting to restore power after Saturday's hurricane winds.
Although gusts of up to 70 m.p.h. yesterday did not cause as much damage as the winds which exceeded 100 m.p.h. along the western seaboard at the weekend, coming so soon after the initial storm they exacerbated difficulties for communities still recovering from the storm. Traffic conditions were hazardous due to the combination of flooding and additional debris, including fallen trees, on roads, according to AA Roadwatch. Side roads were described as "dangerous" as many had not been cleared up to yesterday. Another series of near storm-force winds within such a short period inevitably meant more damage, Met Eireann said.
The south coast and parts of the west felt the worst effects yesterday with over an inch of rain within an hour by mid-morning. Flood waters continued to rise last night with very heavy showers as the winds abated, notably in Fermoy and Mallow. Floods in towns throughout Cos Wexford, Kilkenny and south Tipperary, particularly Clonmel, caused major disruption.
Although less rain fell in Dublin it caused flash floods in Harold's Cross and Rathgar. Flooding in parts of Co Kildare resulted in traffic delays, while some side roads west of the N11 in Co Wicklow were impassable.
Electricity supply was restored by last night to a further 13,000 homes cut off after Saturday's storm, leaving some 12,000 customers, mainly in Cos Donegal, Mayo, Cavan, Leitrim and Roscommon, without supply. Most homes would have power back by Thursday evening, an ESB spokeswoman said.
The winds yesterday did not match those on St Stephen's Day, but were "still quite exceptional", according to Ms Deirdre Lowe of Met Eireann. "On this occasion, they came from the south-east direction, which meant Munster and parts of Connacht bore the brunt," she said. "Flooding resulted from high rainfall combined with high tides. Heavy seas were an added hazard in some areas."
The mild weather began to clear areas of the north-east which had experienced heavy snowfalls. Scattered showers are forecast for today with a return to heavy rain and high winds tonight. Broken weather is expected up to the weekend.
Poor weather conditions meant cancellation of ferry services on the Irish Sea, but the Lady of Man sailed from Liverpool to Dublin with passengers due to travel on the Seacat. Heavy seas, likely to continue today, meant fast-ferry services including the Seacat were cancelled, although some conventional ferries are expected to resume services. Ferry passengers were advised to contact ferry companies before travelling to ports.
Many sporting fixtures continue to be affected by the bad weather. Due to the heavy rainfall, horse racing at Cork Racecourse in Mallow on Saturday is in doubt.
