A warning has been issued about possible worsening weather conditions tomorrow and on New Year's Eve, as an estimated 1,200 homes remained without electricity last night, following the Christmas storm.
ESB crews will resume work at first light today to restore power to homes in parts of Cork, Limerick, Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford, some of which have been without electricity since Christmas Eve. However, the weather forecast for tomorrow shows some heavy rain likely and gale-force, south-westerly winds developing.
Considerable progress was made yesterday, when the number of homes without electricity was reduced from 5,000 to 1,200, and an ESB spokesman has predicted that there will be a "significant dent" in the remaining number by tonight. At the height of the storm, an estimated 135,000 homes were without electricity.
Although road, air and sea services have been restored for the thousands of people on the move for Christmas and the New Year, following a considerable improvement in weather conditions, a Met Eireann spokesman has warned of the possibility of a return of the strong winds and heavy rain. Today, there will be some rain, with fresh south-easterly winds, but the rain is likely to clear in the early afternoon.
"While they are not likely to be as severe as last week, there is a danger of very high winds through the second half of tomorrow and right up until the end of Wednesday," said the spokesman. "Northern areas are likely to be worst affected."
Tomorrow is likely to be very cold, with a possibility of snow showers, said the spokesman, adding that if the weather is expected to be very severe, a more detailed warning will be issued through the media and to local authorities today. The areas and estimated number of homes still without electricity last night were: Dunmanway, Bantry and Bandon 425, Midleton, 250, Kanturk, 85; Limerick, 250; Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, 150; Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow 36. Extra ESB crews have been drafted in to these areas from Donegal, Sligo, Cavan, Westmeath, Longford, Meath, Louth and Dublin. "For instance, Newcastlewest in Co Limerick would normally have four crews, but there are now 22 crews there. We are throwing every resource we have into restoring power," said an ESB spokesman.
However, he added that the work was becoming more difficult because the areas remaining without power were in some cases mountainous and inaccessible.
However, householders planning to claim compensation from the ESB for their cold turkey on Christmas Day were told that damage caused by the "raw power of nature" does not come within its customer charter.
This charter gives 12 guarantees on the provision of electricity services and includes a series of penalties (£20 to £40) which the ESB must pay if it fails to live up to them. But it excludes "storms or extensive disruption to electricity supplies".
A spokesman for Hibernian Insurance said storm damage was an "integral part" of the vast majority of insurance policies for domestic or commercial buildings.
