WIDESPREAD flooding was reported in the east and south of the country last night, following torrential rain and thunderstorms. Electricity supplies were cut off and public transport services were disrupted by the atrocious weather conditions.
Dublin and Waterford suffered the brunt of the winds and rain and the expected high tide in Cork was threatening to cause serious problems today.
Weather forecasters, meanwhile, warned of a gloomy Bank Holiday weekend, with a marked arrival of the winter season. Tomorrow is likely to start off bright but the weekend will become "cold, windy and showery", said a spokesman at the Meteorological Service.
Dublin Fire Brigade reported flooding in many areas. A spokesman said leaves had blocked drains causing water to get into many homes. Among the areas affected were the racecourse at Baldoyle, Jobstown Road, Mountbrown, Main Street Balbriggan, Lusk, Sandyford, Leinster Avenue, North Strand, Lower Churchtown Road, a nursing home at Orwell Road, Rathgar, and Stillorgan, where a roof was blown off a factory.
Some delays were caused to flights at Dublin Airport following brief thunderstorms and the DART service south of Dun Laoghaire was affected.
A spokesperson for AA Roadwatch said the east coast had been particularly hit by flood patches, most notably the quays in Cork city. In Waterford, blocked drains caused serious flooding.
Electricity lines were down in the Bray and Greystones areas, with Pearse Street, Rathfarnham and Rathmines also left without supply during the storms. Further showers are expected later today with thunderstorms and hail in places.
From midnight showers will be dying out, becoming cold with frost and fog developing.