An early December storm pounded the northwest of Ireland, with high winds and heavy rain leaving thousands of homes without power across Northern ireland and in Donegal, Dublin and Meath.
The most severely hit area was Northern Ireland, with 29,000 homes reporting electricity outages. As of Thursday afternoon, 15,000 customers had their service restored.
Across Northern Ireland, downed trees and power lines have forced road closures and caused temporary shutdowns on railway lines. The Belfast Telegraph reports that Portstewart, Co. Antrim, was battered by 20ft waves.
In the Republic, 3,300 homes were dark, including 1,400 in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. In Trim, Co. Meath, 1,100 homes are without electricity, while 800 residents of Devlin, Co. Westmeath are without power.
The Irish Times reports that winds of 75 miles per hour have battered the coast, with heavy rains causing road flooding in parts of Ulster and Connemara. Most ferry service between Ireland and Britain has been canceled. Dublin Airport has reported no service disruptions.
ESB Network crews are working to restore power to the affected areas.
Two people were killed in Britain, which took the brunt of the storm
The gale force winds are expected to ease, with cold, calm weather moving in Thursday night and continuing through the weekend.
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