Ireland

Thousands still without power and water in wake of storm Ophelia

Emergency crew from NI Networks working on a fallen electricity poll in Doagh, Ballyclare, after storm Ophelia. Picture by Brian Lawless, Press Association
Emergency crew from NI Networks working on a fallen electricity poll in Doagh, Ballyclare, after storm Ophelia. Picture by Brian Lawless, Press Association Emergency crew from NI Networks working on a fallen electricity poll in Doagh, Ballyclare, after storm Ophelia. Picture by Brian Lawless, Press Association
By Claire Simpson

ABOUT 125,000 homes and businesses in the Republic remained without power yesterday in the wake of Storm Ophelia.

Almost 60,000 customers are without water and 85,000 are without broadband, landline and mobile access as Ireland continues the clean-up in the aftermath of the worst storm in 60 years.

Energy chiefs in ESB Networks warned that progress to reconnect remaining homes, mostly in the south of the country, would take several days.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that in the wake of Storm Darwin in early 2014 that it was eight days before the network was fully repaired.

It is expected that the majority of the 119,000 customers who remain cut off will have their power restored over the next four days.

But the company warned that some customers in isolated pockets will not be reconnected until Tuesday.

ESB Networks is also prioritising power connections to water treatment and supply plants after the storm wiped out services to tens of thousands.

Fifty grid repair staff from NIE Networks in the north joined efforts on Tuesday night and teams from Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, northern England and France will begin working on lines on Wednesday and in the coming days.

An ESB Networks spokesman said: "As we move down to lower voltage repairs this work slows down as individual faults are repaired".

By 4.45pm yesterday, Northern Ireland Electricity said fewer than 50 homes and businesses remained without power in the north.

Three people died in the Republic when the ex-tropical storm battered Ireland on Monday.