Authorities have warned people to undertake only essential travel as Storm Darragh continues to lash Northern Ireland.

Trains and some bus services were suspended and nearly 50,000 customers left without power as high winds caused severe damage to the electricity network.

A bus was involved in a road crash in Co Antrim in the early hours of Saturday, while Stena Line ferry services from Belfast to Cairnryan in Scotland have been cancelled.

A ferry remained off the coast of Co Antrim on Saturday, believed to have been hampered by weather conditions.

A major power station reported damage to a chimney from the storm, adding it had halted electricity generation temporarily while the damage was assessed and addressed.

EP Ballylumford station manager Tim McCullough said: “We are fully committed to ensuring the safe restoration of operations.

“The safety of our staff and the integrity of our equipment are our top priorities, and we are working closely with all necessary parties to minimise any disruption to electricity supply.”

The Department for Infrastructure said multi-agency partners have been meeting in response to the Met Office’s amber weather warning for wind which remains in place until 9pm.

In a statement, the Stormont department urged people to make only essential travel because road conditions are challenging.

They said disruption to bus and train services as well as some flights was continuing on Saturday afternoon and the Strangford ferry has been suspended until further notice.

“Translink have taken steps to mitigate against the effects of Storm Darragh. Additional buses are on standby. Additional support and teams are also on standby, including chainsaw crews, to assist with any fallen debris blocking the railway,” a department spokesman said.

“If roads are blocked, it may be necessary to divert Ulsterbus or Goldliner services.

“Safety is Translink’s number one priority. All passengers should check the Translink Journey Planner or social media channels in advance of travel and to allow extra time for their journeys.

“Department for Infrastructure staff have been working through the night to respond to approximately 900 incidents which are mainly debris on the roads, fallen trees and branches and flooding.”

A Translink spokesperson said a driver on the bus involved in the collision in Co Antrim had been the only person on board at the time and was taken to hospital for treatment.

“We can confirm that the driver has since been discharged from hospital,” they said.

“Our immediate priority is the welfare of our colleague, and we are providing support to them and their family. An internal investigation is under way, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to establish the circumstances of the incident.”

A number of roads, including Castle Street in Belfast city centre, were closed on Saturday morning while clean-up work was carried out.

Some events in Northern Ireland, including three Irish League football clashes and a planned vigil in Belfast for the women of Afghanistan have been called off, while the Apprentice Boys of Derry shutting of the gates event in Londonderry is still set to go ahead.

The Belfast Christmas Market is not expected to open, with organisers saying they need to ensure visitors and traders are kept safe.

Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said about 48,000 customers were without power on Saturday morning following a night of high winds causing “widespread” damage to the network with broken overhead power lines, fallen trees across lines and broken poles.

In the Republic of Ireland, almost 400,000 customers are without power.

A spokesperson for NIE Networks said hundreds of extra staff have been brought in, adding: “Our incident management centre at Craigavon has been opened, as have our local incident centres which are in locations across Northern Ireland and used by our teams to co-ordinate our localised response.

“We have mobilised additional call agents to deal with any queries customers may have regarding the repair process in their area.

“We would like to remind customers that if they should experience a power cut they can report the fault online at nienetworks.co.uk or call the NIE Networks customer helpline on 03457 643 643. Customers can also follow us on social media for regular updates.”