STORM Brian could hinder efforts to restore power to thousands of people in Ireland when it arrives this Friday – less than a week after Hurricane Ophelia battered the country.
Schools across Ireland finally reopened on Wednesday after Ophelia caused almost a quarter of a million homes to lose electricity and a smaller number to lose basic access to water.
The ESB have said that some 130,000 people remain without power, with the more rural and isolated areas of southern Ireland worst affected.
Speaking on RTE Morning Ireland, Bernadine Maloney of the ESB warned that Friday’s low pressure system could hamper efforts to get the worst affected parts of Ireland back up and running.
She said: "As we go beyond today it is premises by premises, field by field and tree by tree, which is going to be a lot slower progress.
“Good progress has been made but the more difficult, rural and isolated areas will remain affected beyond today.
"We were fortunate yesterday and the crews had a better day than we would normally experience straight after a storm.
“It was a little bit of retrieve but I believe Storm Brian is coming our way Friday and I know Met Eireann have been talking about it, I don't know the severity of that but we will be looking at it today.
RT StormchaserUKEU: #StormBrian maybe impacting the #U.K. and #Ireland Saturday. Winds reaching 80mph in places...… pic.twitter.com/d84jDnkzcv
— L?️?️K UP? (@Uniocracy) October 18, 2017
"If it's safe to be out repairing then we will be out repairing, we work in very unsociable conditions so if it’s safe to do so we will."
Before ‘Storm Brian’ passes over Ireland and Britain either late on Friday or early on Saturday, a smaller spell of bad weather will make its way across the country.
High winds and heavy rain are expected but the storm is not believed to be anywhere near as threatening as its predecessor Ophelia.
Ms Maloney said hundreds of thousands of Irish people had had electricity restored since Monday, with Cork the county worst affected by Ophelia’s wrath.
"255,000 people have had their power restored in the last 36 hours, so since 4pm Monday about 70 per cent of the total,” she said.
"130,000 remain without power this morning and it will be slower from here on in and we are prioritising water and waste water treatment plants.
"Later this morning we will have estimated restoration times up on our websites and they will be available on powercheck.ie.
"The majority of those in County Cork which was the worst affected, unfortunately it's difficult to tell at this stage but we will have a better idea later.”
