Crews continue work to restore power to customers after Storm Darragh

Engineers are continuing work to restore power to the last remaining homes and business left without power after Storm Darragh.

Around 95,000 customers in Northern Ireland were hit by power cuts during the storm, with total outages at any one time peaking at 48,000 on Saturday.

Gusts of up to 70mph caused extensive damage to the electricity network in the region, according to network provider NIE Networks.

Co Antrim was worst hit, with the EP Ballylumford power station temporarily halting electricity generation on Saturday after a chimney was damaged and scores of roads were blocked by fallen trees.

From 3pm on Friday to 6am on Sunday, 1,336 incidents were reported on Northern Ireland’s roads – 1,000 of which were caused by fallen trees and branches.

A bus crashed close to Belfast International Airport and a loyalist mural in north Belfast was damaged.

As of Monday, morning around 1,500 homes remained without power.

NIE Network said the majority should be reconnected by Monday evening but some “small pockets” may remain off supply into Tuesday.

Several community assistance centres are still offering help to those without power.

The centres offering warm drinks, charging and changing facilities are at South Lake leisure centre in Craigavon, Seven Towers in Ballymena, Kilkeel leisure centre, the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney, Omagh Leisure Centre, Donaghadee Community Centre and Dungannon Leisure Centre.

Around 150 NIE Network staff were on the ground on Monday conducting welfare visits to those on its Medical Customer Care Register.