AROUND 4,000 PEOPLE are without power after high winds battered the country last night.

The largest block of those affected are in Milford, Donegal, where 2,300 people are expected to have their power back by 7.45am.

In Cratloe, Clare, 1,400 people will be without power until midday.

An orange wind warning is in effect until 10am in Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick, with gusts reaching 130km/ph.

In Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tipperary and Waterford, a yellow wind warning is in effect until 10am.

Donegal also has a snow-ice warning in place until 10am.

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Today’s weather will not improve this morning, but should brighten as the day goes on, Met Éireann says.

They say it will be “very cold and windy at first today with sunny spells and occasional showers, some heavy or thundery and some of sleet or snow in places for a time this morning with some icy patches”. However, they warn that showers will be of rain or hail this afternoon.

The heavy rain and wind is affecting traffic, with delays on some major routes.

On the M1 Dublin-Belfast road, there is an overturned car southbound betweet junctions 6 and 7, Balbriggan and Julianstown.

In Limerick, there is debris on the southbound side of the M7 between Castletroy and Ballysimon.

In Dublin city, there was a collision on Pearse Street earlier, but traffic can pass.

Drivers are being warned to slow down and give extra space to cyclists.

Read: Tie down those wheelie bins. It’s pretty windy out there