Thousands without power and flights cancelled as Storm Diana takes hold

Thousands of homes in Cork and Tipperary are without power this morning as Storm Diana begins to take effect.

The ESB has said that it is working to restore electricity to homes in Curraleigh and Macroom in Cork, Glengoolen in Tipperary and parts of Kilkenny and Dublin after outages overnight. Storm Diana is set to hit over the next 48 hours. A Status Orange weather warning is now in place for coastal counties in the south and southwest and a Status Yellow warning has been issued for the rest of the country. Winds are expected to gust at up to 110 and 130 kilometres per hour by around midday.

14 flights are cancelled Wednesday morning @CorkAirport - 7 out and 7 in to Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Amsterdam, Paris and London Heathrow. Passengers are advised to check the latest status of their flight on their airline’s website. #StormDiana pic.twitter.com/xs9b0iM0Xx

— Cork Airport (@CorkAirport) November 27, 2018

A number of scheduled flights in and out of Cork Airport have been cancelled, including ones to Birmingham, Amsterdam, Manchester, London, Bristol, Edinburgh and Paris. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin Airport to the Isle of Man has been grounded due to the inclement weather. Radar issues at the capital's airport early this morning have also delayed several flights. Anyone due to fly today is urged to check with their airline before travelling. Motorists, particularly in Cork and the south of the country, are urged to take care on the roads as there is a risk of debris, fallen trees and flash flooding. People are also advised to stay away from exposed coastal areas like piers, beaches and cliffs when winds are at their highest, with the Coast Guard reminding the public to stay back, stay high and stay dry.