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storm hannah

Under 2,000 homes without power as ESB crews restore power nationwide after Storm Hannah

AA Roadwatch and An Garda Síochána are warning motorists that fallen trees and other debris are likely.

LAST UPDATE | Apr 27th 2019, 6:00 PM

11,000 ELECTRICITY CUSTOMERS are still without power this morning after Storm Hannah battered the country overnight. 

esb A map of power outages across the country this morning ESB ESB

A Status Yellow wind warning was in place until 9am for Munster, Connacht, Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny Laois, Longford, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly and Donegal. 

Met Éireann said it will still be very windy for a time today. West to northwest winds will reach mean speeds of 50-65km/h with gusts of 90 to 110km/h. 

The forecaster said winds will moderate later with mostly dry weather expected. It will be cool, with temperatures ranging from 8 to 12 degrees. 

A Status Red wind warning was in place last night for counties Clare and Kerry. 

Thousands of homes, farms and businesses were left without power across the country as a result of the storm. At the height of the storm, 33,000 customers were impacted. 

ESB crews have now restored power to 31,000 homes, farms and businesses that lost supply due to the storm. 

Just 1,800 customers are now without power. 

All available resources from ESB Networks have been deployed to carry out repairs to the network and restore power.

Additional crews from less impacted areas of the country are deploying in areas of west Munster that have seen the most of the storm damage. These include Co Clare, the Iveragh and Dingle peninsulas, north Kerry, west Limerick and parts of Tipperary.

The damage to the electricity network is mainly attributable to trees falling on overhead lines as a result of the high winds.

You can check ESB Power Checker for the latest updates in your area. 

ESB Networks has apologised for any inconvenience caused.

It has issued a warning to anyone who comes across fallen wires: “If you come across fallen wires or damaged electricity network, never, ever touch or approach these as they are live and extremely dangerous.

People are being asked to report any damage to electricity infrastructure by calling 1850 372 999. 

Customers are also being reminded of the precautionary measures to take in the event of a power cut: 

  • Never approach broken lines or damaged poles, and keep children and animals away
  • Turn off electric cookers, ovens, irons, etc if electricity supply is lost 
  • Leave a light switched on so you know when power has been restored 
  • Take extra care if using candles, oil lamps or other naked flames 
  • Test smoke alarms with fresh batteries 
  • Ensure adequate ventilation if using gas heaters

The highest wind speeds recorded during Storm Hannah are as follows:

The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government said yesterday that it was monitoring the storm as it moved towards Ireland.

The Department has been liaising with agencies and local authorities in relation to flood threats, emergency response coordination and public information messaging. 

Travel disruption

Bus Éireann said that services in Clare, Kerry, Limerick and other areas had been affected by the storm last night. 

A number of flights were also been cancelled at Cork, Kerry and Shannon Airports as a result of the storm.

Aer Lingus flight EI723 from London to Cork tried in land in Cork yesterday evening but was diverted to Dublin. 

AA Roadwatch and An Garda Síochána are warning motorists that fallen trees and other debris are likely, especially on secondary roads. 

“If driving in high winds, allow plenty of extra space between your vehicle and other road users, especially pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, who are more likely to be blown off-course,” AA Roadwatch said.

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