Further flooding likely as weekend of rain forecast

THE FLOODING which has affected many parts of the country is likely to get worse with Met Éireann forecasting more heavy rain for the weekend.

Nearly 80mm (three inches) of rain fell in parts of Galway and Mayo yesterday following days of heavy rainfall. Already the rainfall total for Galway is the highest on record for November.

After a brief respite this morning, another band of heavy rain is forecast for tonight with more rain tomorrow and stormy weather on Sunday.

Met Éireann forecaster Dr Aidan Nulty said it was the worst flooding for 10 years with several places having got a multiple of the rainfall for November, which is traditionally a wet month anyway.

“That kind of rainfall is bad enough, but it is coming after a prolonged wet spell. Even by Irish standards this is pretty bad.

“The ground was already saturated and the rivers were already high,” he said.

The flooding made many roads and some rail lines impassable. A large number of towns were flooded or at risk of flooding and farmers have been unable to get access to their livestock.

The Irish Farmers’ Association said the situation in the west of Ireland was the worst for 20 years. Towns which have experienced flooding include Gort in Co Galway, Bandon, Macroom and Dunmanway in Co Cork and Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim where flood waters were in excess of the recorded 10-year high level.

Clonmel, Co Tipperary, which has experienced six serious floods in recent years, was bracing itself for more disruption with the river Suir having already burst its banks in recent days and flooded the town’s quays.

In Cork city the ESB was preparing last night to release thousands of tonnes of floodwater from the Inniscarra dam.

As a result of heavy rains in and around the city severe flooding was expected in low-lying areas of the city especially around Enniscarra, Carrigrohane, Lee Road and Carrigrohane Road.

In Co Clare, several parts of Ennis reported bad flooding, including the town centre and 28 psychiatric patients taken out of Cappahard nursing home in the town had to be evacuated because of flooding in the local sewerage system.

Supt John Scanlan of Ennis Garda station appealed to people to avoid flooded areas in the town unless absolutely necessary.

Dublin city has escaped the worst of the weather but Parnell Street in the city centre was closed to traffic because of falling slates due to high winds.

Dart, Northern Commuter and Maynooth Commuter services operated fully but were delayed by five to 10 minutes due to flooding at a number of locations.

Among the worst-affected roads were the N6 on the Loughrea side of Craughwell in Co Galway, where flooding caused tailbacks of nearly three hours, the N18 at Gort, the N17 between Galway and Tuam and the N71 Cork/Bantry Road.

Dozens of other minor roads in Munster, Connacht and south Leinster were impassable because of flood waters.

AA Roadwatch urged motorists to avoid all unnecessary journeys in Cork, Kerry and Galway and to listen to traffic bulletins before leaving their homes.

Flooding yesterday caused the partial closure of the Dublin-Galway and Dublin-Sligo lines.

There will be no rail services this morning between Galway and Athlone and no replacement bus service either because the road system is so badly flooded.

However, Iarnród Éireann said it would have replacement buses on the Dublin-Sligo line between Longford and Carrick-on-Shannon.