Homes in parts of counties Down and Tyrone have been hit by flooding after Storm Bert brought sustained and heavy rain on Saturday.
Some residents of Park Avenue in Dundonald and Kings Row in Coalisland were left trapped in their homes as water levels rose.
Mid Ulster SDLP Councillor Malachy Quinn said it was some of the worst flooding he had ever witnessed in the Co Tyrone town, while DUP leader Gavin Robinson said homeowners in Dundonald were left deeply distressed by the events.
The arrival of Storm Bert brought widespread disruption across the north, with flooding and fallen trees resulting in a number of road closures, while railway services were also severely impacted.
The Met Office has a yellow warning for wind in place until 7pm on Saturday, with wind speeds expected to reach up to 70mph in places, while an overnight warning for snow and rain will remain until 11am.
NIE Networks said it was responding to dozens of reports of power cuts across the north on Saturday.
It said the scale of outages meant it was unable to provide customers with an estimated time for the restoration of their electricity supply.
Translink also announced ‘severe disruption’ to services after flooding caused damage to railway infrastructure.
More: Storm Bert: Northern Ireland to be hit by snow, rain and wind over the weekend
A bus substitution is in place between Antrim and Lanyon Place on the Derry line due to flooding, while the Belfast to Dublin line has reopened - delays are expected.
#ENT #TRAIN The Belfast to Dublin line has now reopened, please expect delays and disruption as services return to normal operation. https://t.co/hyBCZbPqJs
— Translink (@Translink_NI) November 23, 2024
Police are urging road users to take care, with specific warnings put in place for a number of roads.
‘Significant flooding’ had been reported at the Broadway Roundabout in Belfast, impacting traffic to and from the Royal Victoria Hospital - the road has since fully reopened, according to TrafficWatchNI.
Bad flooding was also reported on the Ravenhill Road as well as the Belvoir Road junction on the A55 near Martyrs Memorial Church, while some roads in the Newtownabbey area have been closed.
“There is a fallen tree on the Belfast Road, and there is also a report of a fallen tree on the Springvale Road, between Ballyhalbert and Ballywalter, at its junction with the Inishargie Road. Both lanes are currently blocked as a result of this,” a police spokesperson said.
Fallen trees are obstructing the the Dergbrough Road in Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, while rock falls in Co Antrim are obstructing parts of the Coast Road at Black Arch, Ballygally, and The Slips.
In Co Tyrone, flooding hit the A5 in a number of areas, including outside Newtownstewart near the Mellon Country Inn and at Crawford’s Bridge near Beragh, while the Drumlegagh Road heading into Omagh is also flooded.
“Road users are also advised to approach the junction at Hospital Road near Hydebank, Castlereagh, with caution due to high water levels,” a police spokesperson said.
In Dungiven, a shed roof has been reported to have been blown onto the the Ballyquinn Road, according to police.
Meanwhile, flooding on the Hillhall Road, Lisburn, has led to its closure at junctions with the Pinehill Road and Ballylesson Road, in both directions.
Melting snow continues to affect higher ground throughout Saturday morning after earlier issues on the Coleraine Mountain Road resulting in a closure due to a critter getting stuck - it has since reopened.
Difficult driving conditions have been reported on the Windyhill Road in Limavady, the Glenpark Road, Omagh, and the Glenshane Pass.
In the Republic, Storm Bert has left more than 60,000 homes without power, according to the Electricity Supply Board (ESB).
Met Éireann has put red warnings in place for counties Galway and Cork until midday, while amber warnings are in place for Waterford, Kerry, Clare, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim.
Major flooding has been reported on Bridge Street in Killybegs, Co Donegal, with flooding also reported in Galway.
⚠️Storm Bert⬇️
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) November 23, 2024
Very wet & windy this morning with widespread rain & flooding in places as warnings still in place🌧️🌬️
Showery rain will move in from the W this afternoon, heavy at times with hail & thunder possible☔️
Very strong & gusty southerly winds will ease for a time pic.twitter.com/aCIWHlhIDZ
Most weather alerts will be lifted by the afternoon, however a yellow warning for wind will remain in place for Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow until 2am on Sunday.
