Clean-up efforts come after Storm Isha hit the country on Sunday, bringing “severe and destructive” wind gusts, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and disrupting travel amid nationwide weather warnings. is expected to continue on Monday.
The western part of the country bore the brunt of the storm, with many households without power, travel severely affected and dangerous coastal conditions reported.
ESB is working to restore power where possible, but many areas are expected to be without power overnight. The power company said counties Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and Kerry were among the worst-hit areas in the country.
A red wind warning was in place for Mayo and Galway from 5pm to 9pm on Sunday, and a red warning for Donegal from 9pm to 1am on Monday. An orange wind warning was in place for the rest of the country from 5pm until early Monday morning.
The ESB announced Sunday night that more than 170,000 homes, farms and businesses were affected by power outages caused by the storm, with many expected to be without power until Monday. It warned that more customers could be affected by power outages on Sunday night due to strong winds.
An ESB spokesperson said counties Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and Kerry were among the areas worst affected by the outage.
A man in his 40s died after the car he was driving collided with on State Highway 17 at Lisduff, Claremorris, Co. Mayo on Sunday, but it was not clear whether weather conditions were a factor in the accident.
By 9:30pm, 148 flights had been canceled at Dublin Airport, with 75 arriving and 73 scheduled to depart. Due to strong winds, 27 flights underwent go-arounds and 35 flights bound for Dublin chose to divert to other airports.
At least 10 flights (four inbound and six outbound) were canceled at Cork Airport, and six scheduled arrivals were diverted.
Bus Alien has canceled numerous services in the county due to the Red Alert. Further disruption has been reported on Dart services in Dublin as speed limits are implemented on some Ianrod Eireann trains serving western stations.
Local authorities, gardaí and fire and rescue services said on Sunday that trees had fallen in several affected areas, including counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Meath, Cavan and Dublin. responded to the report. Some roads, including parts of the N59 in County Galway, were temporarily closed on Sunday due to fallen trees.
In Northern Ireland, where the Met Office has issued an amber wind warning, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has received numerous reports of fallen trees, causing disruption across the region’s road network. Aer Lingus and British Airways have canceled flights to and from George Best Belfast City Airport, as well as flights to and from Derry City Airport.
The National Emergency Coordination Group met on Sunday morning, attended by representatives from Met Alien, the Department of Public Works, local authorities, lead response agencies and key government departments. Paul Locke, who chaired the meeting, said Sunday’s weather was a “particularly bad” storm.
A yellow wind warning remains in place for counties Clare, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo until 7pm on Monday night. Schools were expected to remain open Monday morning.
Strong winds from Storm Isha have caused “extensive damage” to the power network in Northern Ireland, with around 45,000 customers without power as of around 10pm on Sunday, Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) Networks said. .
The company warned that this number could rise as the storm progresses and has deployed hundreds of additional staff, but the extent of the damage and severe weather means many customers will be left without supplies overnight. He said that there is a possibility that it will remain unchanged.
“Damage includes damage to overhead power lines, fallen trees across power lines, and damaged utility poles,” NIE Networks said.
- Apply push alert Get the best news, analysis and commentary delivered straight to your phone
- search Irish Times on WhatsApp Stay up to date
- The In The News podcast is published daily – find the latest episode here