Thousands of homes and businesses have been left without electricity after powerful winds battered parts of Ireland.

Disruptive and damaging gusts of up to 130kph (81mph) were predicted as trees were felled during Storm Deirdre on Saturday.

Significant numbers of electricity faults were reported in Cork in the south, and there was some disruption to supplies in Co Waterford in the south east.

In Co Down, motorists struggled to drive through a deluge of rain which left some roads badly flooded.

The bad weather warning affected much of the Republic and Northern Ireland.

In Northern Ireland, a Christmas market in the north west was cancelled.

A number of Irish Premiership football fixtures were postponed.

Irish forecaster Met Eireann said: “Windy with strong and gusty south-east winds, but a period of stormy conditions, with some disruptive and damaging gusts will develop for a few hours this afternoon in parts of Munster and Connacht, and these severe winds will then transfer to northern and eastern counties during the evening and early tonight.”

The weather warning is valid from 3pm until midnight.

Irish power supplier ESB Networks reported a large fault in the Glengarriff area of Cork.

The Met Office issued a Yellow warning for heavy rain and strong winds across parts of Northern Ireland.