Flash flooding causes traffic problems in many parts of Republic

THERE WAS flash flooding in many areas yesterday as a result of heavy, thundery, localised downpours.

The rain caused traffic problems in many parts with lanes on some main routes being blocked after short heavy showers.

“The thunderstorms are randomly scattered and there have been local heavy downpours,” said David Rogers forecaster with Met Éireann.

However it is not easy to predict exactly when such downpours will occur, he said.

Met Éireann issued a warning up till midnight last night of heavy or prolonged showers giving local falls of more than 25mm in parts.

However it would not be possible to tell how much rain fell yesterday until samples were collected, Mr Rogers said.

The main persistent rain was in Donegal and much of Connacht due to a slow moving frontal trough, he added.

Such weather in July was not unusual, he said. Last July was the wettest for almost 50 years in many parts of the State.

The weather is expected to be largely dry today across the country and for most of Friday, Mr Rogers added.

Motorists on the Athlone bypass experienced some of the worst road delays as a result of the flash floods.

Both east-bound lanes were flooded causing half-hour delays for a two-hour period, said Nicola Hudson, traffic controller at AA Roadwatch.

There were also delays on the N11 at Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow when only one southbound lane was passable due to flooding. Later the N11 Fosters Avenue junction in south Dublin was also flooded, she said.

More central parts of Dublin city were also affected by flooding including inbound lanes at Patrick Street, Morehampton Road and Fairview, Ms Hudson said.

However the floods were clearing quickly within about half an hour of the rain stopping, she said.

“The sheer volume is astonishing” Ms Hudson said adding that it was severe and localised over a short period.

She advised motorists not to drive through floods because they did not know the depth, to slow down in heavy rain and to use their dipped lights.