Drivers are advised to postpone all journeys in Clare,Cork, Galway and Kerry until further notice as weather conditions have deteriorated this evening.
Those that have to travel can expect delays of up to three hours with severe tailbacks. A number of vehicles in Cork Waterford and Galway were submerged under water as flooding worsened throughout the country today.
AA Roadwatch controller Nicola Hudson said its service has been inundated by calls resulting from flooded engines in the Cork and Galway regions earlier today. "We strongly advise drivers to avoid driving through any flood waters, it could be much deeper than it looks and you could do serious damage to your vehicle," said Ms Hudson.
She urged drivers in Cork, Galway and Kerry not to travel unless necessary, as flooding remained serious in these areas. "You will have treacherous road conditions, severe traffic delays and long detours to contend with," she said. A number of national and secondary roads are blocked in Munster and Connaught regions with traffic delays were reported to be longer than an hour on many routes.
West Cork is particularly affected. Cork County Council Senator Michael McCarthy said the situation was set to get worse. "Although the tide is out in Clonakilty the bay is full at the moment, and severe flooding is expected when the tide comes in later this evening," he said.
"Bandon is also particularly bad as the river has burst its banks, and all approach roads to Towns such as Skibbereen and Dunmanway are also under flood."
In Cork City water is being released slowly from Inniscarra Dam. This will add to traffic delays and flooding. Conditions are expected to worsen with the high tide.
Clonmel is reported to be under several feet of water after the River Suir burst its banks earlier today.
In Clare the urban area of Innis has been severely affected by flooding. Garda are working closely with Clare County Council and other emergency services. Army assistance has been requested and is being provided in respect of the provision of sand bags to effected properties.
Garda have appealed to local communities to look out for their neighbours and cooperate with emergency services.
The army was called in to assist flood relief in local communities. Sixty-five soldiers and 10 off road trucks are operating in Bantry, Clonakilty, Ennis, Clonmel and Ballinasloe. In addition, a further 25 vehicles and 175 personnel are on standby in
various barracks throughout the country
Roads are also closed in Monaghan, Waterford, Wexford, Tipperary, Limerick, Longford and Sligo due to flooding.
AA Roadwatch have provided guidelines for people who feel they have to drive through floodwater today: "Only drive through water if you know how deep it is, proceed with extreme caution, keep your speed low, and your engine revs high. Allow oncoming traffic to pass first and test your brakes as soon as you can after leaving the water"
Galway Irish Farmers' Association chairman Barry Donnelly said farmers were experiencing the worst conditions in 20 years from flooding in the west leaving tracts of land underwater.
He said: "In recent days, we have had numerous reports of farmers who have had difficulty in getting feed to livestock that have been stranded because of flooding. Access to outfarms where cattle are being wintered is posing problems because of rising water levels on minor roads."
He said wet conditions, combined with limited daylight, are adding dangers for farmers working outdoors. He urged farmers not to take any unnecessary risks.
Dublin has escaped flooding so far, but fallen trees from blustery conditions may impact traffic mildly. Kildare and Meath have experienced excessive rainfall and spot flooding, but not as bad as the south and west.
Irish rail has reported disruptions on many routes. The line is closed between Limerick and Ennis due to a small landslide. The Dublin to Sligo line between Carrick on Shannon and Longford is closed due to flooding. The Wicklow to Gorey line is closed due to a landslide. Bus transfers are in operation on all routes.
Wet weather is expected to continue over the weekend and into the first half of next week, clearing up briefly on Tuesday. The Met Office predicted: "Mid-week next week looks every bit as unsettled as this week." Up to 60mm rain is expected to fall in the west and southwest today. The water table is high the Suir and Corrib rivers have burst their banks. More flooding is believed to be inevitable as fresh water fronts hit the country.