Hurricane Ophelia: Three killed as storm lashes Ireland - BBC News
Irish PM warns people to stay indoors and schools across the island are to remain closed on Tuesday.
Battling the heavy winds in Donaghadee, County Down

Three people have been killed as Hurricane Ophelia lashes Ireland, with a national emergency declared in the Republic of Ireland.

One man in his 30s died in a chainsaw accident while trying to clear a fallen tree in County Tipperary.

A tree came down on this house in Broughshane, County Antrim

A woman in her 50s in County Waterford and a man in County Louth were killed after trees fell on their cars.

All schools in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will remain closed on Tuesday.

Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar has warned people to stay indoors, as severe winds cause transport disruption, uproot trees and cut power supplies.

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An amber warning for high winds is in force in Northern Ireland until 23:00 BST.

The worst of the weather is expected to continue into Monday evening, with winds of up to 80mph (130km/h) forecast.

On Monday night, residents were evacuated from flats in Rodgers Quay, Carrickfergus, due to the risk of flooding from tidal surges.

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About 8,000 homes have no electricity in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) posted this picture of a fallen tree, which brought down an overhead cable and damaged a car in Dunmurry

Some 295,000 customers are without power in the Republic and it could be 10 days before normal service resumes. Emergency crews are coming from Northern Ireland and the UK to help restore the supply, said the Irish PM.

A red weather alert is in place across the Republic of Ireland, meaning there is a danger to life.

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A number of roads in Northern Ireland have been closed or blocked by fallen trees, and public transport came to a virtual standstill from late afternoon on Monday.

Further details are available from Trafficwatch NI.

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The head of the Northern Ireland civil service, David Sterling, chaired a meeting of the civil contingencies group at Stormont to assess how best to deliver public services while Northern Ireland is being hit by the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia.

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Mr Sterling said a lot of work was ongoing to keep people safe.

Responding to criticism from parents about the late warning given regarding Monday's schools closure, Mr Sterling said his officials had to rely on the best evidence available and balance competing judgments.

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The warning about the further closures came earlier at about 16:30 BST on Tuesday,

Originally a hurricane, Ophelia weakened on its path across the Atlantic Ocean

The Irish government has deployed the army and all hospital outpatient appointments in the Republic were cancelled on Monday

The Irish PM said: "I don't want anyone to think that this is anything other than a national emergency and a red alert in all counties, all cities, all areas."

UK Prime Minister Theresa May spoke to her Irish counterpart Mr Varadkar on Monday afternoon to offer support to affected areas.

Are you affected by Hurricane Ophelia? E-mail your stories and pictures to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

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