Storm Ali: Woman dies after caravan blown off cliff in Ireland

A woman has died after a caravan was blown off a cliff in Ireland, as parts of the British Isles have been battered by Storm Ali.

The scene in Claddaghduff, near Clifden in Co Galway where a woman died after her caravan was blown off a cliff in Storm Ali which has brought gusts Source: AAP

A woman has died after the caravan she was in was blown off a cliff in Storm Ali which is battering Ireland and parts of the UK.

The first named storm of the season brought high winds to the west of Ireland where the caravan was blown onto a beach at Claddaghduff, near Clifden in County Galway.

Irish police said the body of a woman in her 50s was found after a search on the beach.

Ireland's RTE broadcaster said the victim was sleeping at the time when strong winds lifted the caravan from the ground.

As Ali rolled in on Wednesday morning the Met Office updated its amber weather warning of wind. Forecasters have warned of gusts of up to 130km/h inland across Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland, northeast England and northwest England.

In Northern Ireland, there were around 32,000 homes without electricity with majority of faults located in the Omagh, Dungannon and Enniskillen areas.

NI Electricity said it expected that number to rise throughout Wednesday as Ali sweeps across the country.

Travel disruption, power cuts and flying debris are possible with severe gales and heavy rain forecast for a large part of the UK, the Met Office said.