ALERT: ESB warns areas may be without power for days following wrath of Storm Éowyn 

The ESB has issued an update ahead of Storm Éowyn which is expected to cause severe disruptions to the power network across the country. 

Met Éireann's Status Red wind warning is set to come into effect overnight Thursday and into Friday for all counties. 

In light of Met Éireann's warnings that this historic storm could cause major disruptions to power and communication networks, the ESB has said that their crews and partner contractors are in a "full state of readiness" across the country and are making all necessary preparations in order to respond to outages as soon as it is safe to do so.

They also have cautioned people to expect "extensive damage to electricity infrastructure." People are urged to prepare for widespread outages by making sure their mobile phones are fully charged and having torches and spare batteries to hand.  

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ESB crews will mobilise on Friday, once it is safe, to assess the damage caused by the storm and to restore power in affected areas.

The ESB added: "Based on previous experience of similar windstorms, ESB Networks anticipates power restoration will take a significant number of days to complete. Given the predicted extent of the damage nationwide, estimated restoration times will only be provided once our teams have assessed network faults and these will then be available to view throughout Saturday on www.PowerCheck.ie."

With high winds reaching up to 130km/h, fallen trees and debris are expected to litter roads across the country. The ESB has warned people that if you come across any fallen wires or damaged electricity network, to never touch or approach them as they are live and extremely dangerous. 

The ESB has asked people report any damage to electricity infrastructure by calling 1800 372 999.