A Cork driver had a very narrow escape on a busy road as Storm Brendan sent a tree crashing onto the road.
The incident happened on the N20 just south of Charleville as winds gusted to over 120km/h and a large tree suddenly crashed onto the road in front of a line of traffic heading towards Limerick.
One witness saw a car in front suddenly swerve to escape from under the falling tree.
"I watched it fall - it missed the car in front by millimetres - it sped up to get out of the way," said the eyewitness.
Emergency services reached the scene quickly but there were major delays for traffic heading in both directions.
The tree has since been cleared by gardai and emergency services.
Falling trees and storm-blown debris have caused chaos across Cork city and county this morning with major incidents reported at multiple locations including Innishannon, Castlemartyr, the Mardyke and Bantry.
At the Wilton Roundabout, where an unsecured trampoline went tumbling across the junction in front of shocked drivers at around 10am.
Gardai are warning that there will be debris and fallen trees on the roads for some time after the storm passes - especially on secondary routes and isolated rural roads.
The emergency services are asking drivers to exercise caution and to be prepared to encounter the unexpected in the wake of Storm Brendan.
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