Ophelia’s gone... now get ready for the rain
Race to restore electricity and water as new storm is on way
HEAVY rain and gale-force winds are forecast to batter the country this weekend, as tens of thousands of families remain without water and electricity.
There are fears the operation to restore water and power supplies following Storm Ophelia will be hampered, as Met Éireann has issued a ‘yellow’ warning.
Forecasters have said the country will be hit by high winds and up to 50mm of rainfall. The bad weather couldn’t come at a worse time, as 25,000 homes and businesses are without water, and 79,000 have no power.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil yesterday: ‘Irish Water is working with the ESB to restore supply and reduce risk. The key issue is connecting the water treatment plants to the power network.
‘Where that cannot be done, generators will be installed in water treatment plants as a temporary fix while the power lines are reconnected.’
There are also 2,000 people on water supplies that are at risk of running out. A spokesman for Irish Water said: ‘While progress has been significant and is continuing, it is clear that some of the very smaller schemes, with fewer than 1,000 people, will take longer to get back on track.
‘Some of these smaller water treatment plants are not suitable for generators, so [we are] coordinating with the local authorities to ensure water is provided for the local population with tankers.’
The ESB said most of the remaining 79,000 customers will have power back within the next three to four days, but isolated areas are unlikely to have electricity until next Tuesday.
Met Éireann’s weather warning applies to Munster, as well as counties Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow and Meath, and is in place until tonight.
Forecasters also warned that gusts of up to 110kph are expected to batter the country on Saturday.
Meanwhile, it has emerged a gang used the cover of Storm Ophelia to break into a supermarket and steal its safe. Gardaí believe the Centra in Carrigart, Co. Donegal, may be the latest target of a gang that has struck more than six times in recent weeks.
The shop was targeted between 11pm on Monday night and 2am on Tuesday morning. The gang stole merchandise including cigarettes before taking the safe.
Officers at Milford Garda Station have appealed to anyone who saw anybody acting suspiciously in the area at the time to contact them.
‘Working to reduce the risk’