It is the third storm in recent days, after Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice wreaked havoc across parts of the island.
21 February 2022
Nearly 30,000 homes and businesses are without power after Storm Franklin hit the island of Ireland.
It is the third storm to pass over the country in recent days, after Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice wreaked havoc.
Very windy with some severe gusts, but easing through the morning while scattered showers in the NE gradually die out 💨⚠️
By late morning it will be dry & bright for most but cloud will extend into the west this afternoon, followed by outbreaks of rain 🌦️
Highs of 7 to 11°C 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/2HRApJXPCe
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) February 21, 2022
Status orange wind warnings issued for parts of the north and north-west have now expired, but Met Eireann has warned that people can expect high winds and strong gusts over the course of the morning.
Met Eireann said gusts of more than 130kph were recorded in Co Galway and Co Donegal.
ESB confirmed on Monday morning that just over 29,000 customers were without power in the wake of the storm.
ESB crews and local council staff are assessing the extent of the damage, as the worst of the weather passes.
Apologies to 29,100 customers who are without power following #StormFranklin. Our crews are working to repair the damage and reconnect customers. To report an outage or check estimated restoration times see https://t.co/EU6R9nRfwR. pic.twitter.com/RW0k3N0wec
— ESB Networks (@ESBNetworks) February 21, 2022
A yellow warning remains in place for the entirety of the Republic until later on Monday morning, while a yellow wind warning for Northern Ireland, issued by the Met Office, will stay in place until the early afternoon.
Parts of the country were still clearing up after Storm Eunice when the latest storm hit.
Deirdre Lowe, from Met Eireann, said: “It makes the impacts more risky. Structures have been weakened, tree roots have been weakened. There was a lot of fallen trees this morning, particularly in Donegal and Sligo.
“Certainly, one storm coming in after another. It’s due to a very strong jet stream over Ireland, which has persisted in the past week,” she told RTE radio.
She also warned that the country could see snow and sleet in the days to come.
