Meanwhile, in the County Down fishing village of Portavogie, 1, 100 electricty customers were cut off when a vehicle accidently damaged a power cable.

BBC: Power cuts follow storm

She said she had been "shocked to discover" that in Portavogie, County Down, the council found itself powerless to enforce a public health notice for clearing asbestos on a site where the developer was in administration, despite reports that children played there.

BBC: Securing undeveloped sites