Strong south-east winds will buffet the country again today but with little of the intensity of the recent storms which left 160,000 households in the north-west without electricity and flooded large areas of Cork and Kerry.
In the north-west the ESB expects 2,000 households to be still without power this morning, following the St Stephen's Day storm. These are in outlying areas and their reconnection is expected to be completed by the weekend.
In Co Donegal yesterday an Air Corps helicopter was called out from Finner Camp to assist people stranded on Tory Island since Christmas Day. The helicopter took 20 people off the island and returned a further 13.
Telecom Eireann said it had restored service to 1,200 people since the storms, with about 800 remaining to be connected this morning. Full service should be restored by the end of the week, a spokeswoman said.
Northern Ireland Electricity was still striving to connect 2,640 householders yesterday evening. A spokeswoman said the company was hoping to have the number "down to 500 or 600 by morning".
In the South, householders in north Cork and Kerry are still cleaning up after Tuesday's heavy rain. Winds closed many roads and caused rivers to overflow, leaving thousands of acres under water.
In Mallow severe flooding caused by the Blackwater overflowing was subsiding last night but, downstream, Fermoy was still severely flooded. As bridges became submerged yesterday, troops from Collins Barracks in Cork were deployed with high-sided vehicles to assist the emergency services and ferry people around the town.
According to the ESB, there were "pockets where supply was interrupted" in the south, but the whole area is expected to have power restored today. The AA said many back roads in the south remained closed and drivers were being advised to exercise extreme caution.
Ferries on the Irish Sea are expected to be back to normal today, with the possible exception of the fast service on the Rosslare-Fishguard route, which was cancelled yesterday. Stena Line said its HSS was expected to operate on schedule today.
A spokesman for Irish Ferries said services were expected to depart on time today, and a spokeswoman for the Seacat service between Dublin and Liverpool said it too was operating normally.
The Department of the Marine launched an investigation yesterday into what caused the Isle of Man ferry, The Lady of Man, to stall its engines shortly after leaving its berth on Tuesday night. The ferry is expected to remain in Dublin Port until Saturday, when it will be taken to dry dock for an inspection of its propellers. The absence of the vessel, which is used as a standby, will not affect services to the Isle of Man.
Sporting fixtures around the country are still in doubt, with the Turf Club planning to inspect the track at Punchestown this morning. The steeplechase has been abandoned and will be replaced by a hurdle if the meeting goes ahead.
Meetings planned for Tramore and Fairyhouse tomorrow and Naas on Saturday "look all right at the moment", according to the Turf Club. The racing planned for Cork on Saturday has been cancelled.
The Irish Insurance Federation has advised householders to carry out temporary repairs where there is a danger of further damage. Insurance company emergency telephone numbers have been published in the national newspapers, and the federation has advised policyholders to get in touch with their insurers as soon as possible.
The federation said it could be several weeks before the full cost of the storms is known, but industry sources have said the cost could run to over £100 million.
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