Seasonal Dublin showers may turn to deluge

THE WEATHER forecast is for April showers to turn to deluges tomorrow as one of the driest springs on record is due to turn very wet.

An Atlantic depression approaching Ireland could dump as much as 40mm of rain (1.8in) along the south and east coasts tomorrow, according to Met Éireann. That would amount to 80 per cent of the average rainfall for April in just one 24-hour period for Dublin.

The worst affected area is likely to be the capital, which is usually the driest place in the country. The depression will be centred off the coast of Wales, and strong north-easterly winds will whip up moisture from the Irish Sea.

Met Éireann forecaster Harm Luijkx said: “The northeast winds will push the winds towards the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. That will force the air further up and the rain will fall on Dublin.”

He said it was too early to say if there would be a repeat of the flash flooding which hit Dublin in October.

Rain will continue in the east and south through tomorrow night and for a while on Thursday. Connacht and Ulster are likely to be spared the worst of the weather.

There will be rain across the country today, although it will manifest itself as thundery downpours. The cold and showery conditions are likely to continue until the start of May as what was a sunny and dry spring turns unseasonal.

The rainfall should at least go some way to replenish the reservoirs which supply the Dublin area with water following a February and March where half the usual rain fell. At the start of April the reservoir at Poulaphouca, Co Wicklow, had 148 days of water production in storage, 35 days short of the optimal level.