Hundreds of ESB customers in still without power following Storm Floris' 104kph wind gusts as worst hit area revealed
LIGHTS OUT Hundreds of ESB customers in still without power following Storm Floris' 104kph wind gusts as worst hit area revealed
HUNDREDS of homes across Ireland remain without power following Storm Floris, which brought extreme winds and gales to the island over the bank holiday weekend.
The storm, which made landfall in the early hours of Monday morning, impacted over 10,000 homes and businesses across the country.
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The storm, which received weather warnings in eight counties impacted over 10,000 homes and businesses across the island.
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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Winds peaked at over 100km/h in parts of the country
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Met Eireann said that the height of the storm saw average wind speeds of between 60kph and 70kph.
On Malin Head in Inishowen, speeds reached 104kph.
Several flights were cancelled in Northern Ireland due to the severity of winds.
In Dublin airport, flight operations continued as usual, despite the cancellation of six flights by Emerald Airlines.
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Tuam, Co. Galway, saw over 3,000 customers lose power, making it the worst area hit in the country.
ESB Networks has said that as of this morning, 270 customers remain without power.
Since Monday, a major repair campaign has been underway to reconnect all households, farms and businesses left without power.
However, the vast majority of homes across the country have regained power since the storm.
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The storm, which prompted weather warnings in eight counties, has been described as a "small weather event".
Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, Senior Forecaster with Met Eireann, Gerry Murphy, said: "In the broader scheme of things, it's still a relatively small weather event".
He added: "The main issue with this particular weather event is really the time of year and the weekend that it's occurring.
Storm Floris hits with 90mph 'danger to life' wind set to wreak havoc – as thousands told do NOT travel
"So in terms of its potential impacts, it had a greater weight than a wet, windy day perhaps in a non-bank holiday weekend or a non-tourist time of the year."
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While Ireland may have escaped the worst effects of the storm, the same cannot be said of Scotland.
SORRY SCOTLAND
According to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, over 70,000 homes were left without power in Scotland due to storm Floris.
As of this morning, 50,000 homes have had their power restored; however, 22,000 still remain powerless.
Flights and rail services were also severely affected, with up to 119 incidents reported on rail lines and up to 68 departure flights thought to be cancelled in the UK as a result of the storm.
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BETTER WEATHER
In the wake of the bad weather, Met Eireann is predicting a warm and sunny week.
Temperatures today will sit between 17C and 21C across the country.
Tomorrow and Wednesday will see similar temperatures with "hazy sunshine" in the morning; however, clouds will thicken throughout the day.
Over the coming weekend, temperatures are expected to remain relatively cool between 16C and 21C with occasional winds that will be stronger in the north and northwest.
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On Saturday, conditions will be mostly dry and bright; however, on Sunday, showers and longer spells of rain are expected.
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