Storm Darwin: Hurricane gusts, mass destruction, widespread blackouts — and not one person seriously injured

After the country was slammed by one of the most violent and destructive storms, the ESB has warned that a number of the more than 150,000 homes and businesses that still have no electricity this morning could be without power “for a number of days”.

At the time of going to press there were no reports of serious injuries despite a day in which winds of up to 177km/h smashed into the country ripping roofs off buildings, knocking over even the largest lorries and downing thousands of trees.