A man in his 40s has died in a weather-related incident as Storm Amy sweeps across the UK and Ireland, bringing 70mph winds and widespread flooding. The incident occurred in Letterkenny, County Donegal, at approximately 4:15pm on Friday, according to Gardai. The man's body has been taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted.
Storm Amy has caused significant disruption, leaving around 50,000 properties without power in Northern Ireland. NIE Networks reported a 'significant level of damage to the electricity networks,' with incident management centres activated across the region. In the Republic of Ireland, approximately 184,000 homes, farms, and businesses lost power, predominantly in counties Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Cavan, and Donegal.
The UK Met Office issued yellow wind and rain warnings for Northern Ireland, with an amber wind warning in place for Antrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Londonderry between 3pm and 8pm on Friday. Gusts of 60-70mph are expected inland, with up to 80mph along exposed coasts. The Education Authority closed schools from noon for safety reasons.
ESB crews are working to restore power but warned that most customers will not have electricity restored tonight due to hazardous conditions. The Met Office also cautioned that power outages could affect mobile phone coverage. Storm Amy is expected to continue causing disruption through Saturday, with further flooding and travel delays possible.
