Storms leave homes without power

A tree in Aghalee blown down by 80 mph winds

Several hundred homes across Northern Ireland remain without power following the recent storms, NIE has said.

The houses are in pockets of between 30 and 40. NIE said its engineers were "working hard to restore power to all areas".

The foul weather also led to the cancellation of an outdoor concert at Belfast City Hall to usher in 2007.

The Rock The Hall outdoor concert was called off for safety reasons as high winds battered the city.

The winds, including a tornado in County Armagh, have caused widespread disruption.

Roads were closed for a time in Counties Antrim, Londonderry and Down due to fallen trees, power lines and telegraph poles.

Thousands of people had been expected to attend the Rock the Hall concert, but the Belfast City Council said safety had to come first.

The events manager at the council, Gerry Copeland, said the cancellation was "hugely disappointing" - but the safest thing to do under the circumstances.