The west and north west of Ireland bear the brunt of the tail end of Hurricane Mitch.
The remains of Hurricane Mitch which caused devastation in Central America passes over Ireland bringing with it gale force winds and torrential rain.
In Ireland the worst hit areas are the west and north west of the country. Emergency crews work flat out to clear roads of fallen trees and restore power and phone lines to homes across 200 miles of countryside from Clare to Donegal.
At the height of the storm 20,000 homes were left without electricity.
It is taking the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) time to get the power restored to two of the worst hit areas west Galway and west Mayo. Crews working in the village of Easky in County Sligo are dealing with fallen lines, damaged poles and pylons. Council workers are busy removing trees blocking country roads. Power cuts have left many schools in Belmullet, County Mayo without heat or light.
Winds gusting up to 90 miles an hour cause some structural damage. A hotel in Salthill, County Galway had its windows blown in but,
There is a sense of relief that more serious damaged wasn't caused in exposed areas given the strength of the gales.
There is no major flooding so far, but farmers in Galway and Mayo must wade through waterlogged land to feed livestock and in some cases move them to higher ground.
Fishing crews heed Met Éireann warnings and boats remain in ports along the south and west coast. More high winds are forecast for the days ahead, but so far,
The country has escaped the kind of devastation which storms of this intensity have caused in previous years.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 9 November 1998. The reporter is Jim Fahy.
