Storm warning maintained as winds batter country

ESB crews working to restore power to 4000 customers along the west coast

Local man Ger Hogan and his horse ferry people in and out of Saint Mary’s Park in Limerick today after the River Shannon burst its banks in Limerick City. Photograph: Sean Curtin
Local man Ger Hogan and his horse ferry people in and out of Saint Mary’s Park in Limerick today after the River Shannon burst its banks in Limerick City. Photograph: Sean Curtin

Met Éireann is maintaining a Status Orange storm warning today, with very windy conditions across many parts of the country.

Aer Lingus cancelled a number of flights earlier and urged passengers to check their flight status.

Ferry services have also been affected. The Irish Ferries 8.45pm sailing from Rosslare to Pembroke has been cancelled as has the return ferry from Pembroke at 02.45 tomorrow morning.

Rainfall radar image for 9am today. Graphic: Met Éireann
Rainfall radar image for 9am today. Graphic: Met Éireann

Strong and gusty westerly winds will continue to affect Atlantic coastal counties tonight, especially northern parts, according to Met Éireann. Elsewhere the winds will moderate.

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There will be more heavy showers tonight, but they will retreat to coastal counties of the west later in the night. It will become cold towards dawn with the risk of some frost in parts of the east and south. Lows tonight are expected of 1 to 4 degrees.

About 4000 ESB customers are without power along the west coast, with the Limerick area particularly badly hit.

ESB crews are working to restore power to affected customers before nightfall.

High winds are creating dangerous driving conditions across the country with widespread wet roads.

In Co Laois there are reports of excess surface water on the Portlaoise/ Timahoe Road (R426).

The Clarecastle Bridge in Co Clare is passable with care but excess surface water remains. The Coast Road in Killimer is closed following earlier flooding.

Excess surface water is causing problems in both directions on the M7 Dublin/ Limerick Road between J27 Birdhill and J25 Nenagh Centre.

In Galway the Seapoint Promenade in Salthill is closed between Blackrock and Seapoint and will re-open after tomorrow morning’s high-tide ebbs at around 9am.

In Limerick, the Dock Road remains closed due to flooding between Courtbrack Avenue junction and O’Curry Street junction.

Corbally Road and Park Road are impassable due to flooding. Honan’s Quay has reopened.

Limerick City Council say the city will be at risk from flooding at high tide until at least Monday.

In Cork, roads are passable in spite of minor flooding in the city centre at Union Quay and Wandesford Quay. The River Lee overflowed its banks shortly before high tide at Fr Mathew Street at 6.24am.

High tide passed without major incident in Co Cork. A report of flooding was received for the Bantry/Clonakilty Road. Emergency crews remain on standby because of the risk of coastal flooding.

Peter Smyth

Peter Smyth is a digital production journalist at The Irish Times