Storm Ciarán brought hurricane-strength winds, torrential rains and widespread devastation to the island – but, for one family, it also brought the arrival of three puppies.
The chihuahua puppies Stormy, Ciara and Cocker were born late on Wednesday night and in the early hours of Thursday morning as the storm made landfall.
Their mother, Ruby, and owners Emilia and Ali Obek were hunkering down in their St Brelade apartment when it soon became clear that it was going to be a long night, and not only because of the storm.
Emilia said: "We knew in the afternoon that Ruby might go into labour because she stopped eating.
"She was really anxious, and of course the weather didn't help.
"Then at about eleven o'clock Wednesday night, the contractions started."
Emilia praised the heroic actions of her husband Ali who helped with the delivery while gales surrounded the apartment.
Pictured: The three new arrivals.
"We were getting more and more anxious, because we couldn't even go to the vet. And Ruby was terrified because of the thunder and the wind," Emilia continued.
"One of the puppies wasn't moving and we had to massage some life into it.
"The whole birth took hours but by around 3 o'clock in the morning, the third puppy was born."
She added: "We didn't sleep all night, but we're so grateful that all of them are healthy and happy.
"There was a moment when we thought our roof would go and we weren't sure whether to move her or what to do.
"But we were so focused on her, it was the perfect distraction to avoid thinking about what was happening outside and with the weather."
She added: "Even for our six-year-old daughter who was very anxious about the storm, it was a great distraction."
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Pictured top: Ruby with her three puppies (one boy and two girls), the aptly-named Stormy, Ciara and Cocker.
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