CLOSE TO 200,000 buildings have lost power as Storm Ellen made landfall overnight.
Yellow, Orange and Red Weather Warnings were issued for the entire island yesterday as Met Éireann warned of heavy rainfall, flooding and "severe and destructive" winds, particularly in Cork.
The weather warning came into effect at 9pm last night, and eleven hours later there is widespread damage, with 194,000 homes and businesses without power.
Apologies, we are experiencing high call volumes due to #StormEllen . You can log a fault for your property here https://t.co/oBMjE3nuDB .For fault updates its https://t.co/VMtxFrW7FY or download our powercheck app.#StaySafe
— ESB Networks (@ESBNetworks) August 19, 2020
ESB networks estimate there are 40,000 properties which have lost power in Cork, 35,000 in Tipperary, 15,000 in Longford, 20,000 in Westmeath and 12,000 in Limerick, with some power outages expected to last until this evening.
#StormEllen just got a little windy in Limerick pic.twitter.com/8RcGTowQD4
— dermotd24 (@dermotd24) August 19, 2020
Cork County Council officials told RTÉ News they received over 50 reports of fallen trees in the county as the storm made landfall last night; some of the fallen trees are on motorways and dual carriageways and motorists are urged to be vigilant if driving this morning.
Reports of a tree down by Mahon Garda station. The road is blocked as a result. #StormEllen pic.twitter.com/RnRkBQ83qf
— Cork Safety Alerts (@CorkSafetyAlert) August 19, 2020
Reports of fallen or damaged trees have also been received in Waterford, Tipperary, Longford, Cavan, Westmeath and Sligo.
Serious flooding also affected areas in Cork, with the town of Skibbereen under several feet of water.
Skibbereen now. #StormEllen #WestCork pic.twitter.com/ZyWoZ81lFr
— Holly Cairns TD (@HollyCairnsTD) August 19, 2020
The official Weather Warnings expired at 6am for Cork and 8am for the rest of the country, however rain continues to fall in many areas, and thunder and lightning has been reported in some counties.
Staff from ESB Networks worked overnight to fix some of the power outages reported, and have confirmed they will continue working while it is safe to do so until power is restored across the country.
