Storm Amy claims first victim after man dies as 234k homes lose power

As Storm Amy batters the UK and Ireland over Friday night, it has been confirmed that one man in his 40s has died as a result of the poor weather conditions hitting the country

A man has tragically lost his life as Storm Amy batters the UK and Ireland. The victim, believed to be in his 40s, died in the weather-related incident in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, according to Gardai.

Emergency services including police and ambulance services rushed to the scene at approximately 4:15pm. The man’s remains were transported to the mortuary at Letterkenny University Hospital, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted in due course.

Gardaí are now conducting their investigations and the post-mortem results will determine the next course of action for the family. A file will now be compiled for the coroner.

Storm Amy has brought fierce winds and heavy rainfall across the British Isles after charging towards the UK and Ireland today. Roughly 50,000 properties have been left without electricity in Northern Ireland due to the tempest, according to the Mirror.

NIE Networks reported a “significant level of damage to the electricity networks” throughout the region. Alex Houston, NIE Networks operations manager, explained: “Our incident management centre in Craigavon has been opened as have our local incident centres across Northern Ireland with staff across the company being escalated to assist with the response effort.

“We have mobilised additional call agents to deal with any queries customers may have regarding the repair process in their area.” South of the border, around 184,000 homes, farms and businesses across the Republic of Ireland were plunged into darkness at 5:15pm during the storm.

The ESB confirmed that affected properties were mainly located in counties Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Cavan and Donegal. It also cautioned that additional “power outages can be expected”.

A spokesperson revealed: “Crews will continue the restoration work for as long as possible this evening. But it is likely that the majority of customers will not have their power restored tonight due to the hazardous weather conditions and accessibility challenges.”

The UK Met Office predicted wind speeds could hit up to 80mph (130kph) along the most exposed coastal areas of the island, with toppled trees and power cuts amongst the potential consequences. Across Northern Ireland, a yellow wind warning was issued for the entire region from 2pm on Friday until midnight on Saturday.

A yellow rain warning remains active for the area until midday on Saturday, with the Met Office cautioning that flooding of homes and businesses is possible. An upgraded amber wind warning was implemented for Antrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Londonderry from 3pm to 8pm on Friday, and the Education Authority announced schools would close from noon in the interests of pupil, student and staff safety.

The Met Office stated Storm Amy is expected to deliver a spell of destructive south to south-westerly winds during Friday’s late afternoon and evening, with gusts of 60-70mph (97-113kph) inland and reaching 80mph along some more exposed coastlines. It warned that power outages could disrupt other services, including mobile phone coverage.

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