Storm Isha Live Updates: Thousands of homes still without power, roads blocked

Further updates from Uisce Éireann who are working to address supply interruptions to customers in Meath as a result of the impacts of Storm Isha on water treatment infrastructure:

Water services staff have been mobilised around the country to make the necessary repairs at plants and on the water network.

Due to the impacts of the storm on Trim Water Treatment Plant, an essential overnight restriction will be required tonight in Trim and surrounding areas to allow water levels in Brayhill and Summerhill Reservoirs. Customers in the following areas will experience reduced pressure from 9pm tonight until 7am tomorrow morning: Trim, Knightsbrook, Scurlockstown, Effernock, Carberstown, Blackfriary, Crowpark, Clonbun, Rathmolyon, and surrounding areas. It can take two to three hours following restoration of pressure for normal supply to be fully restored.

Last night the Meath County Fire Services attended multiple scenes where fallen trees had blocked roads.

Kells Brigade attended an incident during the night where a car drive into a fallen tree.

Luckily no one was injured.

Further roads were blocked last night due to fallen trees including Fleenstown Ashbourne, which was attended to by Ashbourne Brigade and the Kells road to Ballinlough, which was attended to by Oldcastle Brigade.

Dunshaughlin Brigade also attended to a hoarding that became dislodged due to Storm Isha.

Uisce Éireann wishes to advise customers in Slane and surrounding areas of water disruption today until 4.30pm due to an ESB outage leading to no water production at the Water Treatment Plant.

The areas affected are as follows: Slane, Dowth, Yellow Furze, Stackallen and surrounding areas.

They've stated: "Customers may experience temporary low water pressure and/or discolouration when supply is returned."

Uisce Éireann regrets any inconvenience caused.

Further information:

1800 278 278 (Uisce Eireann - 24 hours, 7 days a week)

11am: Statement from ESB Networks on situation in Meath.

"ESB Networks can confirm that there are few thousand customers without power Co Meath as a result of storm force winds associated with Storm Isha.

Crews are currently dealing with a wide range of individual faults with the main areas affected including Nobber, Trim and Kells (all approximately 800 customers each).

All available ESB Networks resources are now deployed. Real-time updates on power restoration times are available on www.PowerCheck.ie and www.ESBNetworks.ie.

We apologise to all customers for the inconvenience caused."

9am: A major clean-up operation is underway across Co Meath this morning to restore power to thousands of homes and clear roads of fallen trees in the wake of Storm Isha that battered the country last night.

Here's what we know…

Currently ESB Networks are dealing with an estimated 170,000 homes and premises without power this morning nationwide.

Nearly 11,500 homes in Meath were without power at 8am according to power check.ie

All outages are carrying an estimated restoration time of 6pm this evening.

Navan - 2166 Customers affected,

Rathkenny / Wilkinstown, over 200 customers affected

Kells - 284 customers affected

Mullagh - 2,575 customers affected.

Virginia - 63 customers affected

Oldcastle - 961 customers affected Ashbourne Baltrasna - over 3,700 customers affected

Kilcock - 833 customers affected

Trim - 754 customers affected.

Meath County Council along with Meath Fire Service were out overnight clearing certain roads throughout the county that were impassable due to fallen trees.

Among some of the worst affected areas were Bohermeen and Ardbraccan where many roads were completely blocked by fallen trees.

“Meath County Council received a significant number of calls in relation to fallen trees throughout the county during storm Isha, these were received through the out of hours emergency phone line and social media platforms.

"Fire Service and outdoor crews are attending these locations with national and regional roads being prioritised, it will be a busy day for crews and Meath County Council appreciate road users patience as we remove storm debris. As roads are cleared updates will be communicated through social media platforms,”a spokesperson for Meath County Council said.

Schools were due to open this morning as normal and school transport was expected to operate normally though routes that are blocked by fallen trees may change this and power outages may also lead to closures. Schools should be contacting parents/guardians directly.

More to follow…

(Meath Chronicle systems affected by the storm, working to restore them)