Tens of thousands without power as Storm Ashley sweeps across island of Ireland

Ten of thousands of homes have experienced power cuts as Storm Ashley sweeps across the island of Ireland.

The stormy conditions have also seen several flights cancelled, including at airports in Dublin and Belfast.

In the Republic of Ireland, ESB Networks said 53,000 customers were without power shortly after 5pm on Sunday.

Mayo, Galway, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Dublin were the worst affected counties.

In Northern Ireland, NIE Networks said that at 5.30pm approximately 4,000 customers were without power.

It said power had been restored to around 2,000 customers who had lost supply.

Orange and amber wind warnings remain in place in 11 counties on the island.

A Met Eireann orange alert for Kerry, Leitrim, Sligo, Clare, Donegal, Mayo and Galway came into effect at 10am on Sunday and will be in place to 8pm.

The forecaster said the first named storm of the season is to bring very strong and gusty south to south-west winds, coupled with high spring tides. The counties covered could see gusts of up to 130kph.

The forecaster said there was the possibility of coastal flooding, large coastal waves, displacement of loose objects, fallen trees, very difficult travelling conditions, dangerous conditions at sea, as well as damage to power lines and already weakened structures.

In Northern Ireland, a Met Office amber alert for counties Antrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Londonderry is in place from 1pm to 8pm.

The UK forecaster said the storm would bring a spell of strong winds, causing some disruption.

The rest of the island is covered by a yellow wind warning.

In the Republic of Ireland, that warning came into effect at midnight on Sunday morning and will remain in place until midnight on Monday morning.

In Northern Ireland, the yellow wind warning lifts just before midnight on Sunday night.

The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM), Met Eireann and various other stakeholders in Ireland are involved in planned for the storm.

Local authority severe weather assessment teams (Swats) have local emergency response teams in place.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) of Ireland has advised all road users to take extreme care on Sunday.

The RSA urged drivers to slow down and allow a greater braking distance in wet weather conditions.

Multi-agency partners in Northern Ireland have also continued to meet over the weekend in preparation for the storm.

As part of the response, temporary tidal flood defences have been deployed as a preventative measure along sections of the River Lagan in Belfast.