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Storm Eunice: Travel disruption as snow and high winds hit NI

Colleen Webb/@ColleenWebb0 Snowy scenes from the Glenshane this morning.Colleen Webb/@ColleenWebb0
There was snow on the Glenshane pass in County Londonderry in the early hours

Flights and ferries have been cancelled as Storm Eunice sweeps across Northern Ireland.

There were a number of crashes on the Glenshane Road in County Londonderry after heavy snowfall.

A yellow weather warning remains in place until 09:00 GMT on Saturday.

A man was killed in the Republic of Ireland after being hit by a falling tree, but red and orange warnings in parts of the country have now been lifted.

About 80,000 properties are without power in the Republic, mainly in Cork, Kerry and Clare.

Met Éireann has extended a yellow snow and ice warning for the entire country until 10:00 local time on Saturday.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said there had been several crashes on the Glenshane Road in County Londonderry due to the weather but no-one required hospital treatment.

Officers said the road remained open and was passable with care.

ESB Networks Tree falls near house in Republic of Ireland during Storm EuniceESB Networks
ESB Networks said gale force winds had caused damage in the Republic of Ireland, with gusts of more than 130 km/h (80mph) reported

The yellow snow warning for parts of counties Londonderry, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Antrim is in force until 18:00, with the worst expected on hills and mountains.

A yellow warning for wind for County Antrim and parts of counties Londonderry and Down is also in force until 18:00, with a yellow warning for ice in place for the whole of Northern Ireland until 09:00 on Friday.

Between 10-20cm of snow accumulate over the highest spots such as the Sperrins and Mournes.

Several centimetres could affect some areas closer to sea level - although not everywhere will get snow.

The Department for Infrastructure said all roads remained open after gritters and snow ploughs were deployed.

Pacemaker Water splashing against rocks on the north coast of Northern IrelandPacemaker
Strong winds have been making waves on the north coast of Northern Ireland

Donegal County Council said a number of cars had become stuck in snow on Friday morning and described some roads as impassable. Gritters are working to clear the affected roads, the council added.

This could lead to transport disruption, power cuts, and rural communities temporarily cut off.

The Met Office says gusts up to 100km/h (60mph) are likely, with stronger winds possible for more exposed areas.

The strong winds combined with snow are likely to lead to blizzard conditions.

Some ferry sailings and flight have been cancelled - passengers are advised to check before departure.

At City of Derry Airport, Friday morning flights to Stansted and Edinburgh were cancelled, while a number of flights from Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport have also fallen foul of the weather.

A number of ferry sailings between Northern Ireland and Scotland have also been cancelled.

Parts of Cork and Kerry were hit by gusts of over 130km/h (81mph), with the highest gust recorded at 137 kmh/h (85mph) at Roches Point in Cork.