Severe weather tomorrow could hit travel plans for thousands at the peak of the Christmas holiday rush.

Meanwhile motorists have been urged to be careful due to snow in parts of Dublin. AA Roadwatch said it was snowing in Stepaside and Glencullen and urged motorists to take “extreme care”. It earlier reported snowfalls in Kildare and Co Louth

Met Éireann said today would be cold and blustery and that there would be showers of hail or sleet and thunderstorms in the west and north of the country.

A deep depression will rush in from the North Atlantic powered by the jet stream bringing wet and windy weather to all parts tomorrow.

There is a possibility of some storm damage and perhaps some localised flooding. The storm is expected to pass by the north west coast of Ireland during the day.

Christmas Eve will see calmer conditions but it will remain breezy and polar winds will start to bring a noticeable drop in temperatures across Ireland.

Christmas Day is expected to be a crisp and cold day. It will be a frosty start and there is the possibility of a dusting of snow on higher ground.

An ESB spokeswoman said most customers had their power restored by this evening. The company was working to repair the remaining 500 customers. Some 9,000 homes, mostly in the south of the country, were without power this morning as a result of damage caused by lightening.

An ESB spokeswoman said Enniscorthy in Co Wexford and Bandon in Co Cork were the worst affected areas.

Yesterday, some 7,000 thousand homes in counties along the south coast and as far north as Wicklow were left in the dark after a lightning strike disrupted power supplies. Emergency crews from the ESB restored supplies by lunchtime.

Irish ferries have announced the cancellation of its high-speed ferry services on the Irish Sea today and tomorrow because of the adverse weather forecast.

The company said passengers with bookings would be accommodated on cruise ferry vessels instead. Those intending to travel are asked to contact the company.

Today's sailing by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company to Douglas has been cancelled.

Elsewhere, the Garda has called on motorists to exercise special care because of the high winds and the risk from debris blown onto roads.