Power Outages and Restoration Efforts
Approximately 2,000 homes in Northern Ireland experienced power outages on Saturday due to high winds brought by Storm Dave. According to NIE's powercheck, areas such as Newtownhamilton in County Armagh and Seaforde in County Down were among the most severely affected locations.
Engineers have been working continuously throughout the storm, and the majority of affected homes have now had their electricity supply restored.
The yellow weather warning was issued starting at 14:00 BST on Saturday and remains active until 03:00 BST on Sunday.
Prior to the storm's arrival, the Met Office issued warnings regarding potential damage, power outages, and travel disruptions.
Road users were advised by police to avoid Dunluce Road in Bushmills after a telegraph pole fell, blocking the roadway.
Some council facilities were closed on Saturday, with the public being advised to stay away from forests, country parks, and nature reserves until the storm subsided.
The strong winds are expected to persist through Saturday night and into early Sunday before easing later in the day.
A number of councils announced closures of public facilities and parks as a precautionary measure.
The Maritime and Coast Guard agency issued safety advice, including recommendations to stay well back from cliff edges and to avoid walking near the base of cliffs.
Several ferry sailings between Belfast and Scotland on Saturday were cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions.
Around 18,000 homes, farms, and businesses across the Republic of Ireland also lost power as a result of Storm Dave.
In an update at 20:00 local time, ESB Networks reported that crews were working in affected areas and responding to outages where it was safe to do so.
The yellow weather warning issued by Met Éireann began at 13:00 local time and remains in effect until 02:00 on Sunday.
Travel Disruptions and Airport Impact
Storm Dave has also caused significant travel disruptions in the Republic of Ireland, including the cancellation of 17 flights at Dublin Airport.
On X, the airport reported that there had been "53 go arounds and 13 diversions due to challenging wind conditions, with gusts reaching up to 44 knots."
Dublin Airport warned there could be some disruption to flights on Sunday as a result of aircraft and crews being displaced on Saturday.
The airport shared a video showing a plane landing in turbulent conditions during Storm Dave.
Passengers scheduled to fly late Saturday evening or Sunday morning are advised to contact their airline directly for updates.
Context and Historical Weather
Storm Dave is the fourth named weather system of the year in the UK, following Storm Amy in October, Storm Bram in December, and Storm Chandra in January.
