​Fresh NI storm warning after weekend disruption

​Thousands of homes were left without power across Northern Ireland at the weekend in the wake of Storm Boelo – with a fresh weather warning now in place for strong winds later on Monday and into Tuesday.

Travellers also faced major disruption due to the weather, with flights and ferries cancelled and hundreds of incidents of flooded and blocked roads reported to Stormont’s infrastructure department.

Amber warnings for wind were in place in parts of the province on Saturday and Sunday – with wind gusts over over 70mph recorded by the Met Office at various locations.

Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said the worst hit areas for power cuts were in Springfield in County Fermanagh and Bushmills in County Antrim. As of 10.30am on Sunday morning, approximately 7,000 customers were still without power.

Flights had been cancelled at Belfast’s two airports – as well as from Dublin. Ferries between Belfast and Cairnryan, as well as to Liverpool were cancelled on Sunday morning.

The Met Office said winds during Storm Boelo peaked overnight with gusts of 60-70mph affecting areas in the warning zone, including Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, while gusts topped at more than 80mph in exposed coastal spots.

NIE said the storm has “resulted in a level of damage to the electricity network, leading to power outages for some customers”.

The body said that its Incident Centres, located across Northern Ireland with responsibility for coordinating its response, have been operational since Saturday afternoon.

“Our engineers and field teams were mobilised in advance of the storm and are continuing to respond across the network, working safely and efficiently to repair damage and restore supplies to affected customers as quickly as possible. As of 10.30am, approximately 7,000 customers remain without power”, they said.

NIE encouraged customers experiencing a power cut to report it online or by telephone – and warned customers never to approach broken overhead power lines or damaged poles. “Any damaged equipment should be treated as live. Please keep children and animals well away and report any damage to NIE Networks immediately on 03457 643 643”, as spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure said around 350 incidents have been reported, mainly related to fallen trees and branches and surface water build up on roads.

The Met Office has now issued a warning across parts of Northern Ireland as a new wave of low pressure is set to bring more strong winds later on Monday and through to Tuesday.

Rain will spread northwards during Monday morning, with winds strengthening, followed by a temporarily drier period before further heavy rain arrives later in the day. Tuesday is expected to be very windy with heavy showers at times. A yellow warning for wind is in force from 03:00 until 23:59 on Tuesday for Antrim, Down and Londonderry, where strong winds could produce damaging gusts.