EACH WEEKDAY EVENING TheJournal.ie brings you five things you should know before you head out the door.

1. #WEATHER: Thousands of homes have been without power after storm winds caused havoc in parts of the country overnight and today. If you’ve travel plans they may also be affected.

2. #NORTHERN IRELAND: Talks between the five main parties over flags, parades and the past have broken for Christmas without any agreement. The parties could return to talks involving the US diplomat Richard Haass after St Stephen’s Day.

3. #ST VINCENT’S: The decision by St Vincent’s Hospital to release information about what some of its top executives are paid just before the Christmas break has angered at least two members of the Public Accounts Committee.

4. #TRAGIC: A man has died after trying to rescue his dog from a river in Devon in the UK today. The incident happened at around 11.15am this morning.

5. #CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: Finally, Ryanair has come to the rescue of a mother of sick twins who was facing Christmas stranded at an airport in the UK after one of her two twins was too ill to make an earlier Aer Lingus flight home for the holidays.