200,000 Customers Without Power In Ireland

Hurricane-force winds have left more than 200,000 customers without power in Ireland.

It is the biggest power outage in the country for more than 15 years, with more than 2,000 separate faults across the network. At its peak the outage affected more than a quarter of a million customers.

Among the worst affected areas are Cork, Kerry and Clare.

The worst of the storm battering the country was expected to pass by 7pm, but not before bringing winds which could reach 100mph (160kph).

"The gusts that we have measured, they are not record breaking, but they are widespread and there are large areas of the country involved," a Met Eireann spokesman said.

A ship off the south coast of Ireland has recorded the most powerful gust so far - 110mph (177kph). The highest ever wave in coastal waters - 25 metres - was registered south of Cork.

A Status Red warning for Leinster, Munster and Connacht has been issued by Met Eireann, with dangerous winds, heavy showers and thunderstorms anticipated.

A major emergency has been declared in Kilkenny, with residents told to stay indoors. People living in Limerick, where the roof was filmed being blown off the rowing club, have also been told to remain inside.

A tornado was reported in Roscommon, where homes and cars were damaged by high winds and flying debris.

Dramatic footage has emerged of a lifeboat crew rescuing four fish farmers who were caught out in Clifden Bay on the west coast when weather conditions rapidly deteriorated.

Power supplier ESB Networks has said it hopes to restore power to another 15,000 homes and businesses overnight.

"The electricity network has sustained extensive damage as a result of today’s storms, and we are dealing with a situation that is as bad if not worse than anything that we have seen in the past decade," Managing Director Jerry O'Sullivan said.

The country's main landline phone service, Eircom, received more than 10,000 reports of communications faults.

Road, rail and air travel across the country have been significantly affected.

Drivers are being urged to look out for excess surface water and risk of floods in places. Motorists are being urged to check local weather and traffic reports before travelling.

There are reports of downed trees and telegraph poles in parts of Cork, Kerry, Tipperary and Clare. AA Roadwatch received reports of flying debris on the Dingle peninsula, including shed roofs.

At Cork and Dublin airports, a number of flights have been diverted or cancelled. Shannon airport was earlier forced to close due to the extreme weather, but later reopened.

Irish Rail customers on all routes in Cork and Kerry should expect disruption and significant delays due to fallen trees and debris.

Showers will continue overnight, turning wintry in places. The rain will become mostly confined to the western half of Ireland later on. Met Eireann is forecasting icy stretches on untreated surfaces, with temperatures hovering around freezing.

Another storm is expected to hit at the weekend, although forecasters say they cannot predict its path yet.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

:: Sky News has a special programme dedicated to the floods crisis every night this week at 7pm.

:: You can also watch Storm Nation Special this Thursday at 8pm on Sky 1 (Sky channel 106).

:: Email your photos and videos of the storm to news@sky.com.