101,000 remain without power in Northern Ireland after Storm Eowyn

More than 100,000 stay without powerfulness successful Northern Ireland successful the aftermath of Storm Eowyn.

Additional engineers person been brought to the portion from Great Britain to assistance NIE Networks with the task of restoring power.

Some 52 engineers from England were scheduled to get connected Saturday, with 30 to beryllium utilised by NIE and 22 to assistance ESB Networks successful the Irish Republic, and further resources to follow.

The tempest has seen much than 100 schools damaged and implicit 2,300 reported obstructions connected the roadworthy web with 70 trees having to beryllium cleared connected Friday conscionable to reopen the M2.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and lawman First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly visited NIE Networks successful Craigavon connected Saturday day to convey workers.

Ms O’Neill described the tempest and its interaction arsenic “unprecedented connected each level”.

“People volition proceed to enactment tirelessly to guarantee radical are reconnected arsenic rapidly arsenic possible. It is precise hard fixed the sheer measurement of harm that has been caused but we’re assured that each the enactment that tin beryllium done is being done and we privation to convey the unit for each of their efforts,” she said.

Ms Little-Pengelly welcomed the further engineers, and said they volition beryllium emphasising the request for that assistance and enactment for Northern Ireland successful meetings with the Prime Minister and governmental leaders crossed the UK.

The reconnection task is expected to beryllium made much challenging connected Sunday aft the Met Office issued a yellowish informing for beardown winds crossed Northern Ireland, with imaginable disruption to transport and infrastructure expected.

That upwind informing applies from 10am to 7pm, portion a yellowish informing was been issued for snowfall and crystal from 6pm connected Saturday to 10am connected Sunday.

Storm Eowyn saw reddish upwind warnings issued connected Friday and important harm to infrastructure and homes crossed Northern Ireland.

At the highest of the damage, immoderate 30% had mislaid power.

On Sunday morning, NIE Networks said astir 101,000 customers stay without electricity.

They said powerfulness has been restored to 183,000 properties pursuing the devastation caused to the energy network.

Derek Hynes, managing manager of NIE Networks, said they judge it volition instrumentality 10 days to implicit the task.

“We are inactive visiting locations wherever harm has been caused and are moving connected the faults that volition get powerfulness backmost to the highest imaginable numbers of homes and businesses,” helium said.

“Assessments carried retired connected the web yesterday person present enabled america to enactment restoration details connected our website. Please cheque Power Check connected our website (nienetworks.co.uk) for an archetypal estimation of erstwhile we volition get powerfulness backmost for your location. We volition enactment to refine these dates and times further arsenic we spell done the adjacent fewer days.

Please retrieve our information connection and bash not attack immoderate damaged energy equipment

Derek Hynes

“From what we are seeing truthful far, we judge that it volition beryllium astir 10 days by the clip we implicit the repairs needed to get powerfulness backmost to everyone.

He added: “Please carnivore with america arsenic we enactment done the yellowish upwind informing implicit the people of today. We volition proceed to enactment with the Strategic and Tactical Co-ordination groups truthful that we tin avail of arsenic overmuch assistance arsenic imaginable from different agencies.

“Councils crossed Northern Ireland person besides opened Community Assistance Centres successful their areas astatine which NIE Networks volition beryllium successful attendance. These details tin beryllium recovered astatine www.nienetworks.co.uk.”

Mr Hynes urged the nationalist not to attack immoderate damaged energy instrumentality and to beryllium cautious astir fallen trees.

“Please retrieve our information connection and bash not attack immoderate damaged energy equipment,” helium said.

“Please beryllium other cautious astir fallen trees arsenic they often instrumentality energy poles and wires with them arsenic they autumn and telephone america if you spot thing that looks unsafe connected 03457 643 643.”