Storm Kathleen has left thousands of homes without electricity as strong winds and some damaging gusts swept across Ireland.
More than 22,000 homes and businesses were without power on Saturday morning, according to electricity supply company ESB Networks.
Repair crews are active and responding to faults where safe to do so, the ESB said, while the full extent of the damage will be known around lunchtime as the peak of the storm passes.
Rail services are also currently suspended to and from Heuston Station in Dublin due to a large tree on the line near Monasterevin, Co Kildare.
A status-orange wind warning is in place for Cork, Kerry, and Waterford until 2 pm, while another status-orange wind warning is in place for Galway and Mayo from 9 am until 6 pm.
A status-yellow wind warning is in place nationwide until 8 pm.
Forecaster Met Éireann warned that there will be gale-force southerly winds that will bring a risk of difficult travel conditions, fallen trees, some power outages, and flooding along coastal areas.
#StormKathleen will bring very strong & gusty southerly winds to all areas today, with severe & damaging gusts in the south & west?️⚠️
Coastal flooding & wave overtopping are likely?
Showers will move northeastwards across the country through the day?️
Highs of 12 to 15 C?️ pic.twitter.com/F5B086Z2g8
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) April 6, 2024
Keith Leonard, national director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM), urged people to stay away from all coastal areas during the Met Éireann warnings.
“Importantly, I would remind people that it is critical that they never ever touch or approach fallen wires,” he said, urging people to contact ESB Networks instead.
In the North, the Met Office issued a wind warning for counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Derry, which will stay in place from 8 am until 10 pm.
It has warned of blustery showers in parts of the region, with strong to gale-force southerly winds and possibly severe gales for a time along the Down and Antrim coasts.
Some exposed and coastal areas could see gusts reaching higher speeds of up to 70mph.
By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA
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