:00:08. > :00:11.Storm Frank, with its heavy rain and high winds,
:00:12. > :00:13.is causing travel disruption and there's a warning from NIE
:00:14. > :00:16.of possible damage to the electricity network,
:00:17. > :00:20.In a moment we'll go live to Newcastle.
:00:21. > :00:23.People living along the County Down shore are advised to prepare
:00:24. > :00:37.Is storm hit the west of Ireland this afternoon, with heavy rain and
:00:38. > :00:41.strong winds battering the coast. Here the PSNI are warning
:00:42. > :00:43.of the dangers of driving This large hole opened on the main
:00:44. > :00:51.A20 road from Newtownards to Portaferry when part of the road
:00:52. > :00:54.was washed away in bad weather. NIE there could be damage
:00:55. > :00:56.to the electricity network. The fire service have their
:00:57. > :01:07.preparations in place. People do need to get out, there are
:01:08. > :01:11.vulnerable people out there who need support from their family and
:01:12. > :01:13.friends. Our advice would be to avoid travelling. Try to avoid
:01:14. > :01:17.driving through the water. All P Ferries services
:01:18. > :01:31.have been suspended While the rain has stayed for most
:01:32. > :01:35.of today, the worst of the weather is yet to come. The wind is picking
:01:36. > :01:41.up and the Met Office has issued amber weather warning which will
:01:42. > :01:45.come into effect from nine o'clock tonight. Storm Frank is expected to
:01:46. > :01:46.continue well into the early hours of tomorrow morning.
:01:47. > :01:54.The Rivers Agency says its engineers have been checking river levels
:01:55. > :01:56.and clearing drains to try to mitigate any flooding.
:01:57. > :01:59.There is also a worry about coastal areas with a combination of a high
:02:00. > :02:03.Our reporter Mervyn Jess is on the promenade in Newcastle -
:02:04. > :02:20.As you concede down there, there's a heavy storm force winds coming onto
:02:21. > :02:24.the promenade here at the seafront in Newcastle. Very high casting wins
:02:25. > :02:33.hitting people as they are driving along. -- gusting winds. We had a
:02:34. > :02:39.look at joggers and high viz jackets coming along the promenade. This is
:02:40. > :02:45.due to get worse as the night progresses. The PSNI is warning
:02:46. > :02:53.motors in coastal areas, from although we from Belfast right down
:02:54. > :03:03.the coast to be careful. All sorts of stuff could be whipped over a sea
:03:04. > :03:07.walls. There is a warning. Apologies for the break-up in sound.
:03:08. > :03:10.A man has suffered severe head injuries when he fell into a 15-foot
:03:11. > :03:12.concrete man hole in Sixmilecross in County Tyrone.
:03:13. > :03:15.He was up to his waist in water and had to be rescued
:03:16. > :03:27.He was working on his own, excavating land and somehow he
:03:28. > :03:32.managed to slip into the portal and became trapped in water. He was
:03:33. > :03:36.waged by a concrete pipe. He was taken to hospital with severe head
:03:37. > :03:40.injuries and minor leg injuries. The road was saturated with heavy rain
:03:41. > :03:44.A 46-year-old man has appeared in court charged
:03:45. > :03:48.It follows a gun attack on a police car in north Belfast
:03:49. > :03:59.The investigating officer said he could connect Matthew McMullen to
:04:00. > :04:05.the charges which included attempted murder, threats to kill and criminal
:04:06. > :04:09.damage. Two constables allegedly came under attack after responding
:04:10. > :04:16.to reports of a man being assaulted. Mr McMullan is accused of coming out
:04:17. > :04:20.of a house and shooting at their car as they investigated. The court
:04:21. > :04:23.heard the man was described as forming at the mouth and acting
:04:24. > :04:30.irrationally, like a madman on Christmas night. The court also
:04:31. > :04:32.heard Mr McMullan had recently been treated for mental health issues and
:04:33. > :04:39.has no recollection of what happened that night. Relatives in the public
:04:40. > :04:42.gallery held each other and wept as they heard he would be remanded in
:04:43. > :04:50.custody until the 5th of January. The Western Trust says
:04:51. > :04:53.the recruitment of specialist staff for its new Radiotheraphy Unit
:04:54. > :04:54.at Altnagelvin hospital is challenging but it hopes
:04:55. > :04:56.to complete the process The major cancer unit
:04:57. > :05:06.cost ?50 million. Work on the new radiotherapy unit at
:05:07. > :05:11.Alma Gelson hospital is now progressing well. The building
:05:12. > :05:19.should be completed in the next months before its scheduled opening
:05:20. > :05:24.of 2016. -- Altnagelvin hospital. The catchment area will stretch from
:05:25. > :05:29.Derry to Fermanagh and include parts of Antrim and Tyrone. Patience and
:05:30. > :05:36.Nicol will also benefit as the Irish government is providing some of the
:05:37. > :05:41.funding. -- patients from Moneygall. Fiona Nash says the new unit will be
:05:42. > :05:47.warmly welcomed. She had breast cancer in 2011 and had to travel to
:05:48. > :05:51.Belfast for treatment. It was pleasure for my husband, he worked
:05:52. > :05:55.shifts, starting early in the morning so he was left with
:05:56. > :06:02.everything in the house, doing the and everything. Getting uniforms and
:06:03. > :06:08.dinner ready. It'll be fantastic to one closer. For doctors, promoting
:06:09. > :06:13.awareness of breast cancer remains an important part of their jobs.
:06:14. > :06:18.Doctor Paul Molloy says the unit is a major list for health care in the
:06:19. > :06:22.Northwest. Although treatment will be under one roof saw all the
:06:23. > :06:26.patients will be more comfortable without the considerable distances
:06:27. > :06:32.involved for travelling. Families like to be around their loved ones,
:06:33. > :06:36.especially when they are unwell. We will be able to attract top doctors
:06:37. > :06:41.to the new departments because we will have all the different
:06:42. > :06:47.modalities that are needed. We have planned recruitment phase ahead.
:06:48. > :06:50.This is the time when we will be recruiting our remaining physics
:06:51. > :06:58.team and the consultant oncologist team. Fiona Nash has made a complete
:06:59. > :07:03.recovery and says access to cancer treatment is an important time to
:07:04. > :07:08.hide your family at hand for help and support. More details about the
:07:09. > :07:09.storm to come now. The weather forecast
:07:10. > :07:17.is next with Barra Best. Hello there, the storm may cause
:07:18. > :07:23.some flooding and I will give you the helpline number. You may want to
:07:24. > :07:27.get as pen and paper ready. Storm Frank is bringing strong winds and a
:07:28. > :07:34.lot of radio -- a lot of rain. The Met Office has issued a weather
:07:35. > :07:38.warning, and amber warning, the second-highest level which means be
:07:39. > :07:43.prepared for some disruption and some flooding is likely. We have a
:07:44. > :07:50.warning about wins as well, some severe gales likely for the coast,
:07:51. > :07:56.causing a big waves and danger for driving on the coast. It will not be
:07:57. > :08:01.cold with temperatures around seven or 9 degrees. If you are affected by
:08:02. > :08:07.flooding, this is the number you may need to call... There is good news,
:08:08. > :08:13.into tomorrow, most of the rain will clearly and it will be dry but it
:08:14. > :08:17.will remain Wednesday. The rain may return in the afternoon which could
:08:18. > :08:22.be quite squally with strong winds. Also plenty of sunny spells to come,
:08:23. > :08:27.before and after the wet weather. Temperatures around 10 degrees on
:08:28. > :08:33.the East Coast, cooler on the west coast, eat or 9 degrees at best. A
:08:34. > :08:36.big improvement across Ireland by the afternoon although we will hold
:08:37. > :08:42.onto some wind and weather warnings. Storm Frank will then begin to
:08:43. > :08:49.batter the rest of Britain. We have weather warnings for northern
:08:50. > :08:54.Scotland and West Wales. The good news for Northern Ireland for the
:08:55. > :08:58.afternoon, it will turn much drier. Sunshine before nightfall and a
:08:59. > :09:02.fairly calm evening to come. Chilly tomorrow night with temperatures
:09:03. > :09:11.close to freezing. We are likely to CF Rost to kick-start New Year's
:09:12. > :09:15.Eve. -- to the frost. An improving picture for New Year's Eve, it
:09:16. > :09:18.should be largely dry for revellers. Her next news is that 1025. Goodbye
:09:19. > :09:20.for now. In 2015, we laughed.
:09:21. > :09:24.THEY CACKLE