Thousands remain without electricity as Storm Bram cleanup continues nationwide

All of the weather warnings associated with the second storm of the season have now expired, but cleanup missions are underway in affected areas.

Around 7,000 homes remain without power on Wednesday morning after Storm Bram brought down power lines across Ireland.

All weather warnings associated with the second storm of the season have now lapsed, but cleanup work is underway in affected areas.

ESB crews resumed repairs at first light to restore power to the thousands homes that were left in the dark at 8pm on Tuesday.

The utility confirmed that at 4pm on Tuesday approximately 54,000 properties were without power at one stage during the storm, but the number had been reduced to 7,000 by 7am on Wednesday.

In an update, it said the affected homes and businesses were predominantly in Wexford, Wicklow, Dublin, Laois, Kilkenny, Offaly and Tipperary.

"We acknowledge the disruption to family and commercial life this causes and thank impacted customers for their patience as our crews work to safely restore power.    

"If you come across fallen wires or damaged electricity network, never, ever touch or approach these as they are LIVE and extremely dangerous. Please report any damage to electricity infrastructure."

Meanwhile, Irish Rail said a full schedule of services will operate on all routes today.

Dublin Airport said operations were “largely back to normal” after more than 90 flights were cancelled due to the storm.

Though Storm Bram has passed, Wednesday will still bring difficult weather conditions.

The morning will start with widespread heavy, blustery showers, with isolated thunderstorms and hail.

However, Met Éireann says these showers will largely be confined to Ulster by midday.

After that, sunny spells and mostly dry conditions will follow for the rest of the day, with highs of 12C.

Thursday will be similar, with a windy start and rain sweeping in from the west during the morning.

Looking towards the rest of the week and into the weekend, Met Éireann’s outlook predicts a mobile Atlantic flow will dominate, bringing continued unsettled weather.

 - additional reporting from PA