NORTHERN IRELAND:SEVERE RAINFALL has caused havoc across several Ulster counties with Monaghan, Armagh, Down and Antrim - especially Belfast city - worst affected.
Following Saturday's 12-hour downpour which equalled 75 per cent of the expected normal rainfall for August, all of the North's fire and rescue vehicles were called out.
In Belfast nearly six metres of water blocked the new Broadway underpass on the city's Westlink which connects the North's two main motorways through the city.
Some 60 million litres of water has to be drained from the dualcarriageway, which will remain closed today. The underpass is currently being upgraded under a scheme costing £104 million (€132 million).
NI Water, the water and sewerage services provider, received 3,000 calls for help, while the Roads Service and the Rivers Agency were also under pressure.
Two bridges were swept away, 37 major roads, including the M1, were blocked, and homes were evacuated with residents taking shelter in church and sports halls.
The PSNI said: "This is hitting all of Northern Ireland."
"Portglenone and Aghadowey [in Co Antrim] are practically cut off," a police spokeswoman said.
"There have been several landslides, including one about one mile from the Spelga dam on the Slievenaman Road in Newcastle, Co Down."
The Fofanny waterworks in the Mourne Mountains were damaged by the deluge, and up to 2,000 homes are expected to experience falls in water pressure or cuts in supply.
Bridges were destroyed at Rostrevor, Co Down, and near Lurgan, Co Armagh.
In Newcastle, residents were rescued from their homes by inflatable craft supplied by the RNLI after the Shimna river burst its banks.
The worst of the flooding occurred at low tide and much of the water had drained by high water on Saturday night. However, dozens of homes were still flooded yesterday.
East Belfast was badly affected by the rains, with flash flooding returning to areas which also suffered flood damage last summer. Residents were accommodated temporarily in Avoneil leisure centre.
In the north of the city, the Shore Road was closed after rains brought down a wall. A short distance away at Dundrod, Co Antrim, the Ulster Motorcycle Grand Prix was cancelled. Soccer fixtures were also called off.
In Co Monaghan, the Castleblayney to Lough Egish road was closed, while the N54 Monaghan to Clones road was also affected by flood waters.
Neighbouring counties were also badly affected. In Tyrone, the Ballygawley road, which forms part of the main Dublin to Derry route, was hit, while the Cookstown area was also badly affected.
NI Water said unusually wet weather over the past three weeks had contributed to the problem, with the water table already high for the time of year.