ESB Networks to work throughout night in bid to reconnect supply

ESB Networks has said it will work throughout the night to ensure customers are reconnected and the power network is safe. The most extensive cuts are in Clifden, Co Galway, where 299 customers are affected and on Achill Island where 245 customers are without power. Also in Co Roscommon 199 people are affected.

However, as a consequence of safety considerations the company will not be complete repairs until the morning.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Co-Ordination Committee has advised people to avoid unnecessary travel tonight and tomorrow as a storm bears down on western coastal counties

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A map showing the severity of the sea swell off the west coast toda. Photograph: magicseaweed.com

A Status Yellow wind warning has been issued for Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Meath, Louth and Dublin. Gusts of between 90 and 100km/h are expected until 9pm tonight.

Dublin Airport said 20 aircraft have been diverted and 38 flights cancelled due to high winds and it has advised passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information.

The external communications manager at Dublin Airport, Siobhán O’Donnell, has told RTÉ’s Six One News that winds across both runways triggered the cancellation of flights at the today.

She said that the airport’s flight schedule is set to improve for the remainder of the evening, as weather conditions have eased.

Intending passengers are advised to contact their airline.

After a strenuous day the ESB Networks continue to reconnect customers but more than 3,000 homes remain without power. Most of the customers affected were in the northwest and west of the country, along with smaller numbers affected in the midlands, southeast and other smaller faults.

Ferry sailings to and from Tory and Arranmore Island were cancelled as were flights from Donegal Airport

Weather forecast

Met Éireann has forecast that the strong and gusty westerly winds will ease later this evening and the showers will become less frequent by early tonight. Throughout the night it will be cold and clear with just isolated wintry showers; lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees will lead to widespread frost and icy stretches. Tomorrow is set to be a cold, bright day with showers becoming isolated by the afternoon. Highest values will be in the range of three to seven degrees while winds will be moderate and westerly. Friday night will be cold as temperatures drop below zero for much of the country. Wintry showers will continue to affect western and northern counties, but further east it will remain drier with only isolated showers.

Showers will persist in parts of the west and north on Saturday but the rest of the country will be largely dry. Temperatures are not expected to rise above four degrees with a low of one. It will be a bitterly cold night on Saturday with widespread frost and icy patches. Values will range from -4 to zero. There will be further showers in western and northern counties.

Roads

AA Roadwatch has indicated that the strongest winds are retaining along exposed coasts and in mountainous areas.

A fallen tree in the Cleveragh-Back Avenue area of Sligo Town has been cleared, but gardaí had reported extremely wet and windy conditions around the town. The Harry Blaney Bridge in Fanad remains closed due to flooding. Elsewhere there was surface water on roads around parts of Fermoy and the Park Road in Mallow is closed until further notice due to flooding

Airports

Dublin airport said 38 flights in or out of Dublin Airport were cancelled today and 20 flights have been diverted. Passengers are asked to contact their airline for information.

Donegal airport cancelled flights to and from Dublin this morning.

Ryanair experienced delays across their Ireland, the UK and northern Europe services, which you can check here.

As of now all flights are operating as normal at Knock, and at Shannon the schedule operated as normal, but there was seven diversions. Diverted passengers took road transfer to Dublin and Cork Airports.

Rail services

The Luas Green Line is only operating from St Stephen’s Green to the Gallops, although this is believed to be due to a technical fault. There are delays to Dart services due to weather related damage at the Lansdowne level crossing.

Due to high storm winds, there is an 80km/h speed restriction is in place on all Iarnród Éireann services between Athenry and Galway, Ballymote and Sligo, Farranfore and Tralee and Manulla Junction and Westport.

Phone coverage

An estimated 10,000 eircom fixed line and broadband customers are without service following heavy rain, wind and lightning overnight and throughout the day. The worst affected areas are rural, and exposed parts of Cork, Galway, Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Limerick, Kerry and Clare.

Among the counties badly affected are: Cork which has registered 636 faults with the areas hardest hit being Dunmanway, Drimoleague and Skibbereen; in Galway – Clifden, Cleggan, Carraroe, Inverin, Kilronan, Liscarney and Shantalla are hard hit with 519 faults; while in Donegal – Arranmore, Bunbeg, Falcarragh, Kilmacrennan, Letterkenny, Tamney, and Killybegs have borne the brunt of the communication drop-out with 586 faults reported.

In excess of 1,000 repair technicians are working throughout the country, but some field staff activities were restricted in exposed areas for health and safety reasons due to high winds. Service was restored to 1,800 people today.

There are 16 mobile sites off air in Limerick and Tipperary. All other mobile services have been restored

Ferry sailings

Irish Ferries cancelled crossings between Dublin and Hollyhead, while P + O ferries cancelled their morning sailings between Larne and Cairnryan. The second Stena Line crossing at 9.15pm from Rosslare to Fishguard has also been cancelled.

There is also large Atlantic sea swell coming in off the west coast and AA Roadwatch has advising motorists to drive with care.

Schools

Many schools around the country closed their doors following Department of Education advice.

Limerick

Limerick City and County Council say all national routes have been gritted.

Most schools in the region were closed today after Met Éireann issued a Status Red wind warning for Limerick with gusts of 150km/h anticipated. During rush hour this evening upper William Street was slow on to Mulgrave Street while traffic also built outbound on Clare Street on to the Dublin Road. Other than that, there were no significant delays in Limerick City Centre.

Clare

Conditions were not as bad as expected in Clare today, with Clare County Council saying there were no significant incidents to report and they have discontinued their emergency helpline, though the situation is under review.

There were reports of flooding in Ennistymon, Crusheen, Kilnamona and Dysart, and there was a fallen tree partially blocking a road in Killaloe. The N67 Doonbeg-Quilty Rd is closed between Caherfeenick (at the junction with R484) and Cloonadrum (at the junction with the Kilrush Rd (R483). Diversions are in place via Cree

Cork

Power has been restored to the majority of houses in Cork, but there were still 350 awaiting reconnection in the Goleen, Beara and Durrus areas.

Kerry

Most of Kerry avoided the worst of the predictions, although all schools in the county have been closed. There’s snow on the N22 Killarney-Cork Road around the county bounds, particularly near Ballyvourney. Extreme caution is advised by AA Roadwatch

Surface temperatures have fallen and there are icy patches which haven’t been treated due to high winds.

Kerry County Council have also issued an alert concerning debris on roads from fallen branches and trees.

Warning

ESB Networks says crews have worked throughout the day to restore power to 17,000 customers affected by the severe weather.

An updated statement indicated that at present “there are 3,100 customers without electricity supply and ESB Networks expects to have supply restored to most of these customers by this evening.”

However, as a consequence of the number of faults in the northwest, it is likely that approximately 400-500 customers, with no power, will not have supply restored tonight. These customers are mainly located in the following areas:

Derrybeg (Annagry, Kincasslagh, Crolly)

Falcarragh (Knockfola, Bloodyforeland)

Ballina (Knockmore, Gortenamuck)

Belmullet/Erris (Carnhill, Pullathomas, Falmore, Blacksod).

How does Storm Rachel look near you? Send any photographs to news@irishtimes.com.