Ireland facing a 'conveyor belt of storms' as clean-up after Storm Debi under way

Ireland will be hit with a "conveyor belt" of storms this winter, the Chair of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group Keith Leonard has predicted in the wake of Storm Debi.

Jet streams are currently in a position for further storms to be formed over the winter months, Mr Leonard said.

He told RTÉ's Six One News that people will have to be vigilant through the winter due to the possibility of further storms.

In the aftermath of Storm Debi, ESB said 12,000 homes remained without electricity on Tuesday morning, 

Mr Leonard said: "The jet streams seem to be in a position to give us a conveyor belt of storms, hopefully not too many more but we will have to be vigilant over the winter".

Galway city had borne the brunt of Storm Debi with extensive flooding and tidal flooding.

Other counties including Longford, Westmeath, Dublin, Meath and Louth had also faced disruption caused by fallen trees and high gusts.

"Storms are the most difficult weather systems to predict. This one didn’t track for a number of days, it developed very quickly over Saturday and yesterday," Mr Leonard said.

"We’re working with uncertainty and we have to do the best that we can with it.

"I do think Met (Éireann) got the track of the storm fairly right," he said.