:00:08. > :00:15.Almost 8,000 homes across Northern Ireland are without power
:00:16. > :00:17.tonight as Storm Frank causes severe disruption.
:00:18. > :00:19.All ferry sailings have been cancelled and many flights
:00:20. > :00:25.With a high wind warning due to remain in place until the early
:00:26. > :00:27.hours of tomorrow morning, motorists are advised not
:00:28. > :00:48.The force of the storm was being felt on the east coast tonight. It
:00:49. > :00:55.began earlier today with an amber warning from the Met Office. Waters
:00:56. > :01:01.for what -- warned about driving on coastal roads. This collapsed
:01:02. > :01:07.because of weather conditions. We are prepared. We have the resources
:01:08. > :01:12.and the equipment to get it reappeared and deal with it. Our
:01:13. > :01:18.advice to people is to stay away and avoid driving through floodwater.
:01:19. > :01:24.The West of Ireland has already been battered and strong winds swept in
:01:25. > :01:30.this afternoon. Some places where on flood alert. The high winds can also
:01:31. > :01:35.hit power supplies and NIE is on stand-by to deal with damages. They
:01:36. > :01:43.ferry operations have been disrupted with all P Ferries this bandit --
:01:44. > :01:48.suspended. Conditions are expected to get worse with this disgusting
:01:49. > :01:55.wind expected to be a problem on coastal routes. The services have
:01:56. > :01:59.also been disrupted with two inbound flights to Belfast International
:02:00. > :02:03.being diverted to Dublin and passengers disembark in her face
:02:04. > :02:09.delays because of high winds on their ear we apron. More details on
:02:10. > :02:11.the effect of the stormy weather at home and further afield, check out
:02:12. > :02:14.our news online pages. A man suffered severe head injuries
:02:15. > :02:17.when he fell into a 15-foot concrete man hole in Sixmilecross
:02:18. > :02:24.in County Tyrone. He was up to his waist in water
:02:25. > :02:27.and had to be rescued He was working on his own,
:02:28. > :02:31.excavating land and somehow he managed to slip into the portal
:02:32. > :02:34.and became trapped in water. He was taken to hospital with severe
:02:35. > :02:38.head injuries and The road was saturated with heavy
:02:39. > :02:56.rain which would not have helped. The police believe a man who is in
:02:57. > :03:01.action that physical condition in hospital may have been the victim of
:03:02. > :03:06.an assault. He was found in the bedroom of a house at Mount Vernon
:03:07. > :03:07.yesterday morning. The police want anyone with information to contact
:03:08. > :03:09.them. A man who escaped from police
:03:10. > :03:12.custody at Bishop Street courthouse in Londonderry last
:03:13. > :03:13.week as been arrested. Dean Beattie, who is 22
:03:14. > :03:15.and from Glenowen Park, in the city, was
:03:16. > :03:20.detained this morning. Four years ago a family in Maghera
:03:21. > :03:23.were left on the brink of disaster after flash flooding left their home
:03:24. > :03:27.teetering on a river's edge. Since the heavy rain in 2011,
:03:28. > :03:29.the Flanagan family have been unable Now, following discussions
:03:30. > :03:35.with officials from the Department of agriculture and rural
:03:36. > :03:47.development, retaining There was only a fit from the back
:03:48. > :03:51.gable of the wall to the edge where it was unsafe. You concede the
:03:52. > :03:58.foundation underneath. The wall had collapsed. Did not do much damage
:03:59. > :04:02.but you concede the pipes. If you came out your back door, you were
:04:03. > :04:07.looking straight down, it was a nightmare.
:04:08. > :04:09.It's hoped recruitment of specialist staff for the new radiotherapy unit
:04:10. > :04:11.at Altnagelvin Hospital will be completed soon.
:04:12. > :04:13.The major cancer unit cost ?50 million.
:04:14. > :04:16.Keiron Tourish reports the final stage of its construction.
:04:17. > :04:18.Work on the new radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin hospital
:04:19. > :04:29.The building should be completed in the next few months
:04:30. > :04:31.before its scheduled opening in mid 2016.
:04:32. > :04:35.The catchment area will stretch from Derry to Fermanagh and include
:04:36. > :04:41.Patients from Donegal will also benefit as the Irish government
:04:42. > :04:48.Fiona Nash says the new unit will be warmly welcomed.
:04:49. > :04:51.She had breast cancer in 2011 and had to travel
:04:52. > :05:00.It was hard for my husband, he worked shifts, starting early
:05:01. > :05:07.in the morning so he was left with everything in the house,
:05:08. > :05:14.It'll be fantastic to have one closer.
:05:15. > :05:16.For doctors, promoting awareness of breast cancer remains
:05:17. > :05:23.Doctor Paul Molloy says the unit is a major boost for health
:05:24. > :05:29.All the treatment will be under one roof so all the patients will be
:05:30. > :05:31.more comfortable without the considerable distances
:05:32. > :05:36.Families like to be around their loved ones,
:05:37. > :05:40.We will be able to attract top doctors to the new departments
:05:41. > :05:42.because we will have all the different
:05:43. > :05:50.Fiona Nash has made a complete recovery and says access to cancer
:05:51. > :05:53.treatment is an important time to have your family at hand
:05:54. > :06:02.Looking ahead to programming tomorrow, and in a Talkback's
:06:03. > :06:04.Christmas special the former Assistant Chief Constable Judith
:06:05. > :06:07.Gillespie gets her first broadcast interview since
:06:08. > :06:11.That's at midday on BBC Radio Ulster.
:06:12. > :06:28.Hello there. Storm Frank is certainly battling Northern Ireland
:06:29. > :06:34.tonight with strong winds and lots of rain. Rain is causing concern,
:06:35. > :06:37.the Met Office issued an amber warning which means be prepared for
:06:38. > :06:44.destruction, further flooding is likely. As the storm moves north, it
:06:45. > :06:50.is also bringing strong winds with gusts of 50 to 60 miles an hour.
:06:51. > :06:56.Coastal areas will find the waves creating dangerous conditions for
:06:57. > :07:00.coastal communities, especially for driving. Widespread rain eventually
:07:01. > :07:04.begins to ease from the West as we move towards breakfast time. After
:07:05. > :07:09.that it will dry up nicely but squally showers are likely from the
:07:10. > :07:15.West. It will remain windy with gales lasting until the middle of
:07:16. > :07:19.the day. It will be a wet start to begin, sunshine will develop across
:07:20. > :07:23.many areas of Ireland before the showers coming from the Atlantic.
:07:24. > :07:31.Storm Frank begins to batter of Britain. Amber warning is for
:07:32. > :07:38.Scotland and western regions. That rainbow push eastwards. Behind it,
:07:39. > :07:43.it dries up nicely and it is a mild day with temperatures are around 13
:07:44. > :07:45.degrees. In Northern Ireland we hold onto the weather warnings.
:07:46. > :07:50.Eventually the winds will ease and we have a fine end with plenty of
:07:51. > :07:55.sunshine, it will remain dry into tomorrow evening. For a New Year's
:07:56. > :07:58.Eve, it will be quite chilly with temperatures close to freezing so we
:07:59. > :08:07.will stay a frost on new years morning. A bit of rain to come
:08:08. > :08:12.during the day. Just 6 degrees. Good news is for revellers, it will be
:08:13. > :08:18.largely dry. Into New Year's Day, a similar picture, we hold onto
:08:19. > :08:21.temperatures normal for this time of year. Showers on Saturday.
:08:22. > :08:26.Our next BBC Newsline is at six twenty five in the morning