Parts of Northern Ireland have been hit by snow overnight and into Saturday morning, as the region continues to count the cost of damage caused by Storm Éowyn and thousands remain without power.
As of 6am, NIE says approximately 189,000 homes and businesses are still without electricity due to “devastating levels of damage” caused by winds in excess of 100mph.
Efforts to restore supplies are continuing, but with a warning that it will take “many days” to complete as weather conditions remain “challenging”.
Derek Hynes, Managing Director of NIE Networks, explained: “At this early stage, we believe that there are well over 4,000 locations in Northern Ireland where our network has been damaged by the wind or falling trees. Each of these locations will need to be visited.
“Right now we are prioritising faults which affect the largest numbers of homes and businesses.”
He added: “It is likely that it will take us up to ten days to get to the final locations and restore power to those residents.”
The NI Executive met on Friday evening and thanked all front line workers for their efforts during Storm Éowyn.
“Working in the most difficult of conditions, our front line staff have performed heroics over the last 24 hours and we thank them for everything they have done and are doing. We are in their debt,” a statement said.
“The position remains very challenging… The Executive is committed to doing everything it can to return the situation to normal as quickly as possible.”
It was also confirmed that the Executive had agreed to write to Prime Minister Keir Starmer to ask for assistance in dealing with the impacts of the storm.
The issue of practical support has also been raised with Tánaiste Simon Harris by First Minister Michelle O’Neill.
The highest recorded speed winds were in Belfast Harbour at a record-breaking 102.6 mph, while in Co Down, the village of Killowen recorded speeds of 92.2 mph.
In the Republic of Ireland, wind speeds reached 114 mph – the fastest since records began, Irish forecaster Met Eireann said.
A yellow weather warning for snow and ice across Northern Ireland has been in place since 7pm on Friday and remains until 10am today (Saturday).
According to Met Office forecasters, snow could accumulate in places, particularly on high ground in the west of the region.
“However, ice is likely to be the main hazard, with icy stretches forming on untreated surfaces,” they added.
There is also a further yellow warning for strong winds on Sunday, from 8am until 3pm, with gusts of 50-60mph widely expected and up to 70mph in exposed areas, particularly along the coast.
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“The recovery operation will take time, will impact on the running of our public services and will have significant financial implications.
“But we will continue to work together and will leave no stone unturned to get the support necessary.”
Snow and ice warning in place
It came into effect at 7pm on Friday.
Some parts of NI have already been hit by snow and accumulations could continue to develop, especially on high ground in the west of the region.
“However, ice is likely to be the main hazard, with icy stretches forming on untreated surfaces,” forecasters warned.
189,000 still without power
Weather conditions, and the ability to access locations will continue to be challenging with further wind warnings over the weekend.
“At this early stage, we believe that there are well over 4,000 locations in Northern Ireland where our network has been damaged by the wind or falling trees. Each of these locations will need to be visited.
“Right now we are prioritising faults which affect the largest numbers of homes and businesses. It is likely that it will take us up to ten days to get to the final locations and restore power to those residents.
“We continue to work with government and other agencies to try to provide information to the most vulnerable in our society as we work through a long restoration effort.”
He added: “At this stage we have been able to restore power to more than 96,000 families and will work over the weekend to assess the scale of the damage, and to update estimated restoration times on our website. We will keep going until everyone has their power back.
“For the next couple of days, I am concerned that there will be fallen poles and wires in public areas. Please do not approach any electricity equipment and be extra careful around fallen trees as they often take electricity poles and wires with them as they fall. Please call us if you see anything that looks dangerous on 03457 643 643.”
Four of the iconic trees at the Dark Hedges felled by high winds
NIE: Storm Éowyn will require ‘unprecedented restoration efforts’
“Right now we are prioritising faults which affect the largest numbers of homes and businesses. It is likely that it will take us up to ten days to get to the final locations and restore power to those residents. We continue to work with government and other agencies to try to provide information to the most vulnerable in our society as we work through a long restoration effort.
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“Please seek an alternative route for your journey.”
SDLP councillor who runs community hub speaks after building damaged
An SDLP councillor who runs a community food hub in west Belfast has spoken to the Belfast Telegraph about the damage done to the charity’s building, after they continued to offer the venue as a safe space for people to attend during the storm.
Paul Doherty runs Foodstock on the Andersonstown Road and hailed the “community spirit” on show today among his staff and the wider public.
His sign also got blown down today but was still inviting in people hit by the storm to offer support as well as doing house visits.
“Many people found themselves with so much difficulty today so we’re glad we were there and able to support.
“We did have some kind of difficult conversations today with parents and families who were struggling and had to go out and brave the storm to come and get support. And equally, we were very lucky to have some really dedicated and committed volunteers who were at hand.
“We recognised the fact that there were going to be people struggling here today and we thought of the dynamic of families having difficulty with no shops open and having children off school who weren’t getting dinners.
“We recognize as well that there are so many elderly and very vulnerable people in the community that needed that helping hand.
“We did house visits throughout the course of the day, and there’s obviously a risk associated with that, but our team of volunteers are people who work all year round.
“They helped in so many different ways in terms of providing some reassurance and support and guidance for people who were trying to navigate issues around being impacted by the storm today be it power outages, charging up their phones, helping them contact family and friends and so on.
“So right across the board there was a real sense of community spirit while people were trying to kind of navigate the storm.
“I think it’s reassuring for people to know that in moments of despair, there is a sense of community with people pulling together for one another.
“That’s definitely a positive thing to highlight today through all the madness that we’ve seen unfold with the storm.”
Mayor says damage done to Bangor’s Aurora Leisure Centre ‘sad to see’
Images from the leisure centre show piles of debris scattered around the ground.
The council’s mayor Alistair Cathcart said: “It is sad to see that Bangor Aurora has sustained damage to the roof due to Storm Eowyn. Thankfully following the Red Warning period directives, the building was closed when the damage occurred.
“No formal assessment of the building will be conducted until it is safe for staff and contractors to do so it is unclear at this stage the extend of the damage or any impact that will have on the opening of the centre. The public will be advised as soon as possible.
“It is important to note that whilst damage to the roof occurred during a previous storm in 2021, this is a different section of the roof and previous repairs appear to have held.
“The Council are urging the public to stay away from the area and refrain from taking photographs or videos for their own safety.”
Belfast International Airport confirms return of limited service
A spokesperson said: “Having had ongoing engagement with our airlines, some intend to operate a limited number of flights.
“Passengers should check with their airline directly as to the status of their flight and we would urge them to follow the guidelines as set out by the PSNI and NI Direct.
“Like many others across Northern Ireland, we have experienced some power shortages and technical issues this evening, and we will be operating on reduced power. As we begin to rebuild the operation, we have teams working to clean up the airport site following the impact of the storm earlier today.
“Due to the ongoing travel challenges, we have a reduced number of staff on site today to facilitate those airlines who have decided to fly and those passengers who have decided to travel this evening.
“This is an evolving and fast-moving situation; we are preparing for full service to be in place from tomorrow, however, we would ask that all passengers check with their airlines ahead of travelling to the airport.
“Those who choose to travel are reminded to arrive at the airport two hours before their airlines scheduled departure time.”
Northern Ireland homes could be without power for up to 10 days
NIE said they have also requested additional support from other parts of the UK as the work begins on restoring power.
NIE confirmed there are currently around 250,000 customers without power.
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First Minister pays tribute to ‘extraordinary courage and dedication’ of emergency services and frontline staff
Ms O’Neill described those who responded to the storm as “the backbone of our response”.
“From caring for the vulnerable in hospitals, homes, and communities, to working tirelessly in treacherous conditions to restore power, unblock roads, and protect lives, your ongoing efforts are vital.
“You are the backbone of our response, and on behalf of everyone across our society, I want to extend my deepest gratitude for everything you are doing during this very difficult time.
“This is an extremely rare and challenging situation, and I want to assure you all that the Executive and our frontline services are continuing to do everything possible to ensure the safety of our communities.
“We have now moved to an amber warning, and I encourage everyone to continue exercising caution and following official advice.”
Department for Infrastructure confirm staff dealt with over 1,800 road obstructions
They confirmed since midnight there were more than 1,827 obstructions on the road network involving trees and debris reported to the department and these included 873 on motorways other roads.
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