Come on Mother Nature, what have we done to upset you?
Just a few hours after Hurricane Ophelia wreaked havoc across the country and county, reports are suggesting that another major weather event may be on the way.
Storm Brian is expected to hit on Friday as it will be wet and windy, and the weather will gradually move south-east.
Saturday and Sunday will also see a lot of heavy rain and strong winds as Storm Brian passes through Ireland.
An estimated 245,000 people are currently without power in Ireland but the ESB have warned that it could be days before power is restored to all customers.
They have cited Storm Darwin which hit Ireland in February 2014, when it took up to eight days to return power to all customers.
Met Eireann have made no comment as yet about Storm Brian but TV3’s Deric Ó hArtagáin says the it is currently developing in the Atlantic.
BREAKING: This is not good news. Currently developing for Friday/Sat. Similiar low pressure intensity as #Ophelia This is #StormBrian. pic.twitter.com/z0cjJKSe0T
— Deric Ó hArtagáinTV3 (@deric_hartigan) October 17, 2017
RTÉ did, however, warn on Monday night that we can expect heavy rain on Friday with a risk of flooding in some areas.
Storm Brian is the remnants of Hurricane Lee and Hurricane Maria which have joined together.
Meanwhile, Ireland is counting the cost of the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ophelia yesterday.
Three people lost their lives in Waterford, Tipperary and Louth.
Up to 360,000 people could lose their water supply today, as a quarter of a million customers are already without power.
It is also feared that more customers will lose their broadband, telephone and mobile services today.
The national clean-up bill is expected to run into the tens of millions.
Education Minister Richard Bruton said the decision to keep schools closed today was made in the “interests of safety”.
“It is recognised that the decision to close schools will have a major impact on families and on the workforce,” he said.
“However, this decision has been taken in the interests of safety for children and to provide clarity for everyone concerned.”
“Re making up school days, my department will take stock and issue guidance as they have done in the past having consulted with school management,” he added.
SEE ALSO – In Pictures: The scale of Storm Ophelia damage across Laois
