LAST UPDATE | 12 Jan 2023

THOUSANDS OF HOMES and businesses are without power this evening as strong and gusty winds batter the country. 

A Status Yellow wind warning is currently in place for the entire country until 2am tomorrow.

A Status Orange wind warning was also in place for Donegal until 8pm this evening.

The UK Met Office has also placed Northern Ireland under a Status Yellow warning for wind until 3pm tomorrow.

Met Éireann has warned of the possibility of downed trees, power outages and travel disruption across the country as a result of the weather conditions. 

ESB is reporting on its website that thousands of customers across the country are being impacted by power outages this evening. 

A spokesperson for ESB said the outages are not out of line with what would be expected during conditions like this at this time of the year. 

ESB crews have been mobilised and will continue to work through the night to restore power to those affected. 

Looking at the forecast for tonight, Met Éireann says winds will gradually weaken to a fresh westerly wind. However, showers will continue. There will be a continued chance of isolated hail, most liekly in Atlantic counties. 

Temperatures will drop as low as 3 degrees tonight. 

There will be showers and sunny spells to start tomorrow. The showers are forecast to dry out towards midday and it will become mostly sunny for a time. 

Outbreaks of rain, however, will spread from the west later in the afternoon and evening. 

It’s forecast to be a wet night tomorrow as rain from the southwest spreads to all areas. Scattered showers are expected to follow. 

With reporting by Jamie McCarron