Northern Ireland escapes the worst

Northern Ireland escaped the worst of the storm, but heavy rainfall and high tides combined to force the closure of some roads…

Northern Ireland escaped the worst of the storm, but heavy rainfall and high tides combined to force the closure of some roads.

Gusts of 60 m.p.h. were recorded by the Met Office in the region, and the strong winds helped whip up the spring tides, causing problems along coast roads in Antrim and Down.

South promenade in Newcastle, Co Down was closed for a time as waves crashed over the sea wall and there were closures along the Ards Peninsula.

One lane of the dual carriageway linking Newry and Warrenpoint was also closed by floodwater. The coast road in Co Antrim was affected by landslides between Larne and Carnlough to the north.

Heavy rain caused some localised flooding with the problems made worse by the already saturated ground. The Foyle Bridge near Derry was closed overnight due to the high winds, but opened early yesterday.

Ferries on Irish Sea routes were also affected, with delays on the Liverpool route.

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