THE REMAINS OF Hurricane Katia have hit Ireland’s west coast, battering some areas with winds of up to 110kph.

Around 4,000 households have been left without power after the high winds damaged electricity lines across the west and north-west of Ireland. An ESB spokesperson confirmed the outages were due to the weather, and said repair crews are currently working to restore power.

Forecasters have warned that there is a risk of damage to trees and buildings as the tail end of the storm brushes past, with northern and western counties most at risk. The weather station at Belmullet, Co Mayo recorded gusts of 110kph this morning, with Mace Head in Galway experiencing similar speeds.

Fallen trees have blocked roads in Cork county and Oughterard, Co Galway and drivers have been warned by the AA to take extra care across Ulster and Connaught. Tourists sites have also been hit, with the Cliffs of Moher advising all visitors to cancel their trip due to “extremely hazardous” conditions as the west coast is battered by waves of up to 15m.

Peter O’Donnell, senior forecaster for Irish Weather Online, said: “The storm has broken on the west coast with gusts already over 55 knots [100kph].” He warned there was a risk of “some local damage to trees and buildings” in counties along the west and north coasts.

Iarnród Éireann has resumed Dart services between Howth and Howth Junction in north Dublin this afternoon after damage to overhead power lines forced them to suspend operation. Earlier, trains between Bray/Greystones and Dublin city centre were affected after a similar incident. However, that fault was repaired and services in south Dublin have also returned to normal.

The storm has travelled across the Atlantic after sweeping along the east coast of North America.

The family of an Irish man who is believed to have drowned off the Maine coast on Friday have travelled to the US over the weekend. Thomas Clarke, 33, from Kilnaleck, Co Cavan, was visiting the US when he was swept out to sea by a wave as Hurricane Katia passed.  The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to TheJournal.ie that they are offering consular assistance.

One man who didn’t have to brave the elements this morning was Fergal McCarthy, the artist who has been living on a ‘desert island’ in the Liffey for the last two days as part of the Absolut Fringe theatre festival. He was forced to temporarily abandon his tent last night after being advised by organisers that it would be dangerous:

Other people have also been reacting to the storm on Twitter. Here’s what some of you had to say… and if you’ve got any photos or video of the high winds, email tips@thejournal.ie or tweet us @thejournal_ie.