Some relief for north-west as further storms are predicted to affect south

As communities in the northwest struggled to return to normal yesterday after the St Stephen's Day storm which left 160,000 homes without electricity, Met Eireann has warned of further storms expected today.

By nightfall last night the ESB expected to have restored power to 135,000 households while a spokeswoman from Telecom Eireann said additional faults were being repaired as fast as they were being reported, leaving an "outstanding balance of almost 1,000" subscribers still disconnected.

Over 1,000 ESB personnel were deployed in the midlands and north-west yesterday as crews struggled to reconnect the remaining households to the national grid.

There is some relief in sight for those in the north and north-west however, as the south is expected to be the area affected by today's storm. Winds of up to 80 m.p.h. are predicted - significantly less than the 109 m.p.h. winds which lifted roofs and brought down trees in Co Donegal on Saturday.

According to an ESB spokesman, more than 8,000 separate cable breaks and 1,800 broken poles were reported, indicating it may be some days before remote households are reconnected.

"We have all the resources, it just takes time. In many cases the cable to half a dozen houses may pass many broken poles and have many separate breaks which each takes a crew a half a day to repair. At the end of the work it is still just a half a dozen houses reconnected" he said.

Last night more than 20,000 households in the west and northwest were facing their third night without electricity, many also without water, as more ESB staff fought in icy conditions to reinstate supplies.

The father of two who died on Sunday in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, when he fell from a roof he was repairing at Carolina Park in the town was named yesterday as Mr Declan Crawford (29) from Drumnahoe. His brother-in-law, Mr Andy McNamee, who was assisting him, sustained a shoulder injury and was admitted to Letterkenny General Hospital. Hundreds of homes in the Rosguill area of north Donegal were 40 hours without electricity and water as water pumps and filter plants ceased operation. Much of north and west Donegal was without a water supply since Saturday. Donegal County Council appealed to householders to conserve what water they had. Dangerous road conditions and freezing temperatures hampered the electricity repair crews drafted in from Cork, Portlaoise and Enniscorthy as they tried to reach remote power lines felled by the storm.

"In some more remote areas it is very difficult because we have to use four-wheel drive vehicles to get to the fallen poles and in some situations the poles have to be man-handled across rough terrain. It is 35 years since this level of damage has been caused by a storm and it could be a number of days yet before all power is restored", ESB spokesman Mr Michael Kelly said yesterday.

Gardai in Letterkenny reported a crime-free weekend despite hundreds of alarms being activated by the power cuts and surges. Candles were sold out all over the county as demand soared. St Conal's Hospital in the town was cleaning up after the fire brigade had to be called on Saturday night to pump water from the threestorey building, as water poured in through gaps in the roof after slates were blown off.

"Water was pouring down from the third floor to the lower floors, causing considerable damage. Windows were broken by flying debris and slates and ridge tiles were flying everywhere. But patients did not have to be moved because of the damage," nursing officer Mr Hugh McClafferty said yesterday.

Hundreds of homes in east Clare were left without electricity on St Stephen's Day. Many of the homes were in the vicinity of the ESB generating station at Ardnacrusha and power was restored after about six hours.

And while weather conditions in the north and north-west regions were expected to be freezing last night, they were described by Met Eireann as "normal winter conditions" rather than conditions which would severely hamper recovery operations.

A spokesman for Met Eireann told The Irish Times last night there was still patchy snow on hills and high ground, and the area would be affected by frost and ice. But he added that by morning this would probably be dispelled by heavy rainfall.

"What we are expecting is heavy rains and wind gusting at up to 80 m.p.h. This time the wind is coming from the south and south-east, which would lead us to expect that the southern part of the country would be most affected", he said.

He added that warnings had been issued to all local authorities and shipping because of the danger of high winds, but also because of the danger of flooding.

"We don't expect that it will be as strong as St Stephen's Day, and it will vary from place to place, with gusts between 70 to 80 m.p.h., but it will be stormy" the spokesman said.

The ferry companies operating on the Irish Sea have warned passengers to contact them before turning up at ports today. A spokesman for Irish Ferries said a decision would be taken overnight, but conditions at Holyhead " are not looking good for us".

Stena Line has also advised intending passengers to check its recorded forecast before turning up for its services from Dun Laoghaire and Rosslare.

A spokesman for the Seacat service between Dublin Port and Liverpool said intending passengers should contact freefone number 1800 551743 before travelling.