Lightning causes severe damage to telecom poles and causes power outages across Donegal tonight
For second night in a row Ireland is been battered by poor weather conditions due to storm Bella. Winds eased in places for a time tonight but again have picked up tonight along Atlantic coastal counties as another swat of winds assisted with storm Bella hit. Storm Bella is a large area of low pressure compared to other winter storms we have seen and is slower moving.
On Saturday night a cold front pushed down from the north with colder arctic air for today (Sunday) with wintry showers of hail, sleet and snow for some areas with some snow accumulations across parts of Ulster at lower and higher ground and tonight across the east also.
This evening and tonight a band of showers merging into longer spells of rain moved southeastwards across Ulster, Connacht and Leinster with Thunderstorms also embedded in sides giving some severe and damaging conditions in parts of the northwest with Power outage reported across Donegal, Sligo and Mayo.
One of the worst hit areas was north and west Donegal with Telecom poles also damaged in Tirargus, Trentagh (just outside Kilmacrennan) Donegal. The 3 photos below where send to us by Jason Russell
Photos and videos where also captured this evening of the thunderstorms across Donegal
A band of heavy showers continues to move southeastwards across Ireland with showers falling as rain, hail, sleet and snow. Isolated Thunderstorms also embedded within for some areas. Windy also along Atlantic coastal counties with some strong winds of up to 110km/hr. Clear spells moving in from the northwest and north later and turning cold with icy conditions developing.
Further wintry showers will be possible over the coming week with some isolated thunderstorms also possible. It will also turn much colder during the rest of this week and over the weekend with severe night time frosts and icy patches. There also is a risk that a more easterly airflow will develop after next weekend with colder air and snowfall.
I will have more on that later Monday
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