Double tragedy in Ireland as winds hit

Two people died as Storm Ali swept across the UK and Ireland, bringing wind speeds of more than 100mph.

A woman was killed after the caravan she was in was blown off a cliff, while a man died after being hit by a tree as he worked in a country park.

A second man was injured during the incident, at Slieve Gullion Park in County Armagh.

It is understood the pair were doing contract work for Northern Ireland Water.

The man who died was in his twenties. The injured man, who is aged in his forties, was taken to hospital.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and the incident was being investigated by the region’s Health and Safety Executive.

Earlier, the body of a woman was found after a search on a beach at Claddaghduff, near Clifden in Co Galway.

The caravan she was in was lifted by strong winds and blown down a rocky incline of some 15ft.

The caravan could be seen smashed to pieces on rocks and sand.

At one stage, more than 250,000 homes and businesses were without power on both sides of the border as power lines toppled.

Numerous roads, including motorways, were closed by fallen trees and many flights were cancelled.

The storm also led to the cancellation of the second day of a major agricultural show in Ireland.

The National Ploughing Championships in Co Offaly, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year, was cancelled following damage caused by the severe weather.

Meanwhile, a woman was seriously injured after a tree fell on her car in Tarporley, Cheshire.

A spokesman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called to Forest Road just after 1.30pm when the tree fell on the car, trapping the woman inside.

Firefighters worked with a tree surgeon to help remove it before cutting the roof of the vehicle off and freeing the woman.

She was taken to hospital by air ambulance.

The Met Office said gusts of 91mph hit Killowen in County Down, 77mph winds were recorded in Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland, 74mph gusts hit Capel Curig in Wales and 68mph was recorded in St Bees Head, Cumbria. Irish forecaster Met Eireann said strongest gusts included 104km/h (64.6mph) at Dublin Airport.