Work to restore power continues after Northern Ireland storm damage

Work to restore thousand of homes' power supply continues Credit: Press Eye

Thousands of homes in Northern Ireland remain without power following the impact of Storm Isha.

NIE says more than 46,000 customers have been restored but 6,000 are still to be reconnected after strong winds and rain caused widespread damage to the network.

As the work continues, there's concern the next named storm, Storm Jocelyn, which is due to hit on Tuesday, may bring "further challenges".

A Met Office yellow weather warning is due to come into effect later with a wet and windy afternoon ahead.

Cleanup work is continuing after Storm Isha which brought winds of up 81mph and widespread disruption to Northern Ireland.

One man aged in his 60s was killed in a crash involving two vans and a fallen tree in Limavady, Co Londonderry, on Sunday night.

In the Republic of Ireland two people were also killed in separate incidents, however, gardai have not said whether the storm conditions were the main contributory factor.

The ESB in Ireland said 230,000 homes and businesses were without power at its peak, with the worst-hit areas in the north west.

A number of trees made famous by the TV series Game Of Thrones were damaged and felled by the storm in Co Antrim.

Work was carried out on Monday to clear up at the Dark Hedges site.

A spokesperson for NIE on Tuesday morning said emergency crews continued working into the night to restore power to customers affected by damage caused by Storm Isha.

“Approximately 7,000 customers remain without power following the adverse weather conditions brought by Storm Isha," they said.

"However this number may change as the weather develops and as customers report faults with the arrival of Storm Jocelyn later today.

"We once again want to remind the public to maintain safety around any damaged electricity equipment and never approach a broken pole or overhead power line.

"Customers can call our Customer helpline on 03457 643 643 or visit Powercheck for further updates on their individual faults."

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