Leeson Street fault fixed, restoring power to hundreds

Update 11am: The ESB says a major fault on Leeson Street in Dublin city centre has been fixed, leaving just a few hundred people in Cavan and Wexford without power after Storm Eva.

High winds are still being felt in many parts of the country, but Met Éireann said the worst of the storm had passed.

Update 9.30am: The ESB has reconnected thousands of people without power after Storm Eva, but around 1,300 homes and businesses remain in the dark.

Bernadine Maloney from the ESB said: "Most of those (still unconnected) are in a large group around Leeson Street (in Dublin) - about 500 people. Among the others without power are about 100 in Virginia, Co Cavan and in Enniscorthy, with a few smaller pockets elsewhere in the country."

"May your days be Merry & Bright
Our Yellow Vans will soon be in sight"
Hope to have those out overnight back by early afternoon latest

— ESB Networks (@ESBNetworks) December 24, 2015

Update 7.40am: Just under 2,000 homes remain without power this morning as a result of Storm Eva.

Thanks for the kind words a lot of great work done last night more to do today #staysafe and Happy Christmas https://t.co/KG7uAiRXc2

— ESB Networks (@ESBNetworks) December 24, 2015

Earlier:

More than 6,000 homes are without power this morning as a result of Storm Eva.

High winds and heavy rain battered the country yesterday evening with counties Cork, Kildare and Wicklow worst affected.

While conditions will remain blustery for a while, the storm is likely to clear by this afternoon.

Two wind weather warnings have also been lifted.

Joan Blackburn from Met Éireann said the worst was over.

"We had some very severe winds yesterday evening and early last night, (especially along) the west and north-west coast with winds gusting to 130kms per hour," she said.

"Even on the east coast, there were gusts of up to 100kms per hour. Bust thankfully it was for a short period of time of about six hours."

It will be cold tonight, becoming mostly dry as showers die away early in the night.

Frost will develop in some areas as temperatures fall to between 0C and 4C.

Thickening cloud will clear the frost in southern areas later in the night, as rain develops in southern coastal areas, Met Éireann says.