Clare to forty thousand properties in Clare are without power this morning, as Storm Éowyn batters the county.
A red weather alert is in place until 11am, with Met Éireann issuing a status orange alert for Clare until noon, when it will be downgraded to a low level status yellow alert until 4 o’clock this afternoon.
Records for mean speeds and gusts have provisionally been broken overnight, with hurricane speed winds registered in parts of the country.
Mace Head in Galway saw gusts of 183 kilometres per hour before five o clock this morning, breaking a record which stood for around 80 years.
The same weather station also recorded hurricane level average speeds of 135 kilometres per hour, which is also provisionally the highest level ever recorded by Met Eireann.
It’s understood that wind speeds at Moneypoint reached 158 Kilometres per hour earlier this morning.
The ESB says an ‘unprecedented’ 715 thousand homes, farms and businesses are without power nationally, 37,783 of those in Clare.
The areas worst affected include Ennistymon, Lahinch, Miltown Malbay, Kilkee, Kilrush, Cranny, Lissycasey, Corofin, Drumquin, Ennis, Tulla, Cratloe, Quin, Rineanna, Shannon and Gillogue.
The ESB says with Status Red and Orange wind warnings remaining in place for the entire country until later this afternoon, significantly more power outages can be expected throughout the day as the storm tracks northwards.
A number of flights have been cancelled or delayed at Shannon Airport, where gusts of 137 kilometres per hour have been recorded this morning and public transport has been cancelled until the warnings have been lifted.
The public is advised to stay indoors while the red warning is in place, and to only travel if absolutely necessary.
Clare’s Head of Road’s Policing is warning that road conditions are treacherous this morning and will likely remain so throughout the day.
A number of downed trees and lighting poles have been reported on roads across the county, with a number of roads impassible.
Superintendent Eddie Golden says even after the storm subsides, people should not venture out unless they need to.
Health services across Clare, Limerick and Tipperary are also impacted by the adverse weather conditions.
All outpatient appointments have been postponed and HSE Mid West is only operating its urgent emergency and essential time-critical services for the day.
Arrangements are being made to ensure continuation of essential services for chemotherapy and dialysis patients as well as those scheduled for urgent surgery.
Meanwhile, a West Clare business has issued an open invitation to the community to use the hotel as your home, with their compliments, for hot water, showers, cups of tea and household essentials.
In a post on social media, the Armada Hotel has said it’s doors are open, with an offer of a room, to anyone who has any damage and needs somewhere to stay tonight.
We’ll have regular updates on the fallout from Storm Éowyn in our news bulletins and on air on Clare FM throughout the day and you can catch up with our Live Blog here