STORM-FORCE WINDS and heavy rain caused blocked roads, power cuts and flooding in parts of the country last night.
A deep depression brought gusts of up to 130km/h and storm-force winds of between 100km/h and 120km/h, particularly in Connacht, Ulster and Leinster.
The worst of the storm hit the Atlantic seaboard yesterday afternoon, while the east coast felt the brunt of it last evening
Thousands of homes experienced power outages in the northwest and midwest. Up to 2,500 homes in Co Donegal and some 1,400 homes in Galway, Limerick and Athlone were affected.
Met Éireann spokesman Gerald Fleming said Donegal was perhaps the worst hit by the deep depression.
“Last winter was quite bad in Donegal in relation to rain and general poor weather, but these are the strongest winds we have seen in at least two years,” he said.
Flooding made many roads dangerous in Co Donegal, while fields were also flooded throughout Letterkenny and the Finn Valley.
Several roads in Co Sligo were blocked by fallen trees with the council removing trees in the Drumcliffe area. There were also problems around Ballymote, Enniscrone and Tubbercurry.
In north Galway, a falling tree narrowly missed a passerby, according to witnesses. Mourners had earlier been attending the funeral Mass in Claregalway church for Alan Howard, one of the two men who died in a collision between a bus and a van last Sunday night on the N17 outside Tuam, Co Galway.
Debris and water caused difficult driving conditions in many parts of the midlands. Local roads around Clonown on the western outskirts of Athlone were closed due to flooding.
Fallen trees proved to be the main risk for motorists in Connemara, with gardaí called to several traffic incidents on the Galway-Clifden and Letterfrack routes.
The Irish Farmers’ Association expressed concern for levels on the river Shannon, which burst its banks in a number of places yesterday from Roscommon southwards.
Met Éireann predicted that winds would moderate by early this morning to give a bright breezy day with a mix of sunshine and showers.
Gardaí warned motorists in the north and west not to make unnecessary journeys, while AA Roadwatch said driving conditions were particularly dangerous for motorists last night in north Leinster, Ulster and Connacht
In Dublin city centre, Harcourt Street was closed for a time due to debris with Luas Green Line services temporarily curtailed. Most ferry services were also cancelled.
In spite of a warning by Irish Water Safety, several swimmers also braved the sea at Salthill’s Blackrock in Galway yesterday and surfers are expected to be venturing out in heavy Atlantic swells today.
In Mullingar, emergency services had to assist a man who was struck by a piece of plywood. The man was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar where he is being treated with minor injuries.