Storm Ellen hits harder than expected but Carlow & Kilkenny appear to have escaped the worst
A number of ESB customers were left without power for a time

194,000 homes & businesses are without electricity this morning after Storm Ellen made its way across the country.
Power outages were felt in pockets across Carlow & Kilkenny & still this morning 2,099 ESB customers in Ballyhale are awaiting a supply return alongside 544 in Bagenalstown & 102 in Baltinglass. It could take up to 2 o’clock for that. (Updates here)

Gardai across both counties say while there was some debris on roads, no local routes were blocked or had to be closed.
The yellow wind warning remains in effect locally until 8 o’clock tonight.
The West & Munster had red and orange alerts with incidents of flooding, debris & claims of a roof of a building in Clonmel being damaged.
Cathal Nolan, from Ireland’s Weather Channel, says it’s the worst weather since Storm Ophelia, which claimed three lives in 2017.
