Shannon deluge breaks record

IT NEVER rains but it pours in this soggy summer. Shannon airport has experienced the highest recorded rainfall in one hour since records began.

A total of 38.4mm (more than an inch and a half of rain) fell between 5pm and 6pm on Wednesday as a deep depression caused flash flooding around the airport.

The rainfall amounted to almost half the average total for the month of August in the space of a single hour. Met Éireann said the deluge was a once in-125-years event. It broke the 25-year record held at Kilkenny dating back to July 17th, 1983.

The monsoon-like conditions were caused by intense periods of low pressure which have brought flash flooding to several parts of the country over the summer and particularly to the midwest.

There were also reports of mini-tornados in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, and in Co Meath.

Met Éireann forecaster Deirdre Lowe said the torrential rain was caused by warm, unstable air and low pressure.

"When those conditions exist, you get very localised, very heavy deluges of rain in a short time," she said.

In total, Shannon had 52.5mm of rain yesterday (more than two inches) and has already recorded almost the entire average rainfall for August in the first week.

Shannon airport spokesman Eugene Pratt said the rain did not affect flights, but unlucky passengers got caught up in it.

"There were passengers looking for hire cars who were wading around in six inches of water. The roads around the airport were all flooded. We've never seen anything like it."

Unfortunately, the incessant bad weather which has endured for two months is set to continue.

The forecast is for heavy showers tonight, tomorrow and Sunday and for the foreseeable future up to the middle of next week, although not on the scale experienced by Shannon this week.

"What we are expecting is a return to ordinary rain," said Ms Lowe. "There will be heavy showers, but no deluges."