FLOOD-STRICKEN areas across Ireland are bracing themselves for further difficulties today, with Met Éireann predicting more heavy rain.
Forecaster John Eagleton said the meteorological office's severe weather alert remained in force, with a rainfall of 25mm likely today.
He warned that where swollen rivers were concerned, "it won't be easing off".
Stena Line's fast ferry sailings between Rosslare and Fishguard for today have been cancelled due to a severe weather forecast for the south Irish Sea.
One of the worst-hit areas yesterday was Carlow town, where the River Barrow burst its banks.
An apartment block at Cantaur Street had to be evacuated and residents were accommodated last night in local BBs.
The well-known Dicey Riley's pub on Kennedy Street in Carlow was also badly flooded.
Flood waters subsided in Arklow following Saturday's downpour while a bridge at Ballinunty, Co Tipperary, collapsed.
There was extensive weekend flooding of roads in Kildare, Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow and Tipperary, while the railway line south of Portarlington was cleared following Saturday's mudslide there.
Northern counties were also severely hit. In Belfast, the new Broadway underpass on the city's Westlink will remain closed today after becoming filled with water to a depth of nearly six metres.
Desperate weather led to desperate measures for some people.
In Co Offaly, Derek Helion from Spollenstown near Tullamore helped a neighbour to get cattle out of flooded fields by jumping on a jet-ski and using it to round up the herd.
Amid Opposition criticism of Government's handling of the flooding, it was signalled yesterday that new planning guidelines intended to deal with flood prevention will be published by Minister for the Environment John Gormley in the autumn.
The Government is also to introduce two major policy initiatives to respond to the extensive flooding which has occurred this month.
Fine Gael and Labour, however, have claimed that the Governments response has been piecemeal.
The Department of the Environment has issued new guidelines to local authorities necessitating better drains, drainage systems and coastal defences in future.
Met Éireann said showers should become isolated tonight and rain further north will become lighter and intermittent. Tomorrow will see a mixture of sunny spells and scattered showers with fresh moderate northwest to west winds. Wednesday will be another day of bright or sunny spells and occasional showers.