UPDATE: GARDAÍ are warning motorists to be careful on the roads as the impact of Storm Diana is felt throughout Cork.

There is a large tree down on the R612 Carrigaline to Myrtleville road. The road is completely blocked.

Emergency council crews and gardaí are responding.

The N71 Cork to Bandon road is also partially blocked due to a fallen tree on the Inishannon side of the Halfway roundabout.

There are ESB wires down on the Shannonvale to Ballineen road, near Keohanes Quarry. Gardaí are on the scene and some delays are possible.

There is a tree down on the Fermoy to Glanworth road, causing issues locally.

Thousands are also without power throughout Cork, according to the ESB.

Major outages are reported in the Ringaskiddy area, where more than 2,500 customers are without power, as well as significant outages near Macroom, Rylane and Béal na Bláth.

FOURTEEN flights in or out of Cork Airport were cancelled this morning as Storm Diana made landfall.

Severe gusts of up to 130km/hr battered parts of the country, with the orange warning due to remain in place until midday.

A tree fell on top of a car at Leemount Cross, near Angler’s Rest, during the commuter rush hour.

Approximately 1,100 passengers were impacted by the flight issues this morning, including those who had planned to travel on the typically-busy early morning services to Amsterdam, Birmingham and Manchester. Early morning flights to Heathrow and Stansted departed as planned, though other morning flights to London were cancelled.

It wasn’t the only issue for commuters this morning as the cross-river ferry in Passage West was cancelled, resulting in heavy traffic.

There were reports of debris on the road near the Dunkettle roundabout and the Sarsfield Road roundabout, while there were also reports of trees down near Mitchelstown, Clogheen and Bandon.

Met Éireann report gusts of 109km/hr at Sherkin Island and 107km/hr at Roches Point. 

Cork City Council had issued warnings to avoid low-lying areas of the city centre amid fears of flooding.

These areas included Morrison’s Island, Father Mathew Quay, Union Quay, Wandesford Quay, French’s Quay, and Crosse’s Green. 

High tide passed without any major incident, though some pooling was reported in these areas.

Gardaí at Anglesea Street say that most motorists heeded the warning, with just one car parked on Morrison’s Island before 8am today when the warning came into effect.

Sgt Peter Murphy at Anglesea Street advised motorists to remain cautious on the roads in the hours ahead, even after the worst of the weather passes over.

He said that loose branches and debris could cause problems as the day goes.

“As always, expect disruption and expect delays,” he said.

“Light up, slow down, and be mindful of your fellow road users.”

Rain is expected to continue throughout the evening and tomorrow, according to Met Éireann, including some heavy showers around lunchtime on Thursday.

However, the worst of the wind is expected to have cleared by this evening.