Flash flooding in Cork city with sun forecast elsewhere

Roads reopen after thunderstorms as temperatures set to hit 24 degrees in coming days

Heavy thunderstorms led to flash flooding on a number of streets in Cork city on Sunday night.

Fire crews and council staff responded quickly to ensure roadways were quickly reopened.

A thunderstorm with heavy rain at around 7.30pm led to flash flooding on a section of Watercourse Road leading to Blackpool and the road had to be closed for a period.

However Cork City Fire Brigade units assisted by Cork City Council staff were quickly on the scene to clear a number of blocked drains and the road has since reopened.

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The thunderstorm also led to flash flooding on Pope’s Quay and the western end of Sunday’s Well road leading to Wellington Bridge while it also caused some surface damage on Shanakiel Road.

Blackpool businessman Jer Buckley of the National Flood Forum said the problem there was down to a small number of blocked drains and abated when they were cleared.

‘Exam weather’

Elsewhere the country has been experience what is often referred to as “exam weather”, a balmy brightness whose arrival seems to coincide annually with the start of the State exams.

This year this burst of sunshine appears to have arrived a week early.

According to Met Éireann it is going to get really warm for the next few days.

As people return to work on Monday temperatures will creep up to 22 degrees and the sunny weather is expected to remain in place until Thursday at least when temperatures will hit 24 degrees.

Met Éireann does not forecast beyond that but it indicated conditions would continue to be mild through to the June bank holiday weekend.

It said the outlook was for relatively warm conditions through the week, with mainly light north or easterly winds. Highest temperatures will be in midland and western areas. There will be a lot of dry weather, but some showers or rain are likely at times.

Cloud will thicken in northern and eastern areas on Tuesday with outbreaks of rain developing in some eastern and northern counties later in the day and overnight and northerly winds will freshen.

Wednesday is to be mild but with a good deal of cloud. The best of the sunshine will be in Atlantic coastal counties, Met Éireann said.

Some rain is possible in eastern and southeastern areas with possibly some showers in parts of the southwest and west, but it will be largely dry elsewhere.

Temperatures are expected to reach 17-21 degrees.

Some scattered showers are likely on Thursday and Friday but it will be dry in most places.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times