More rain showers are expected on Sunday and into the early part of next week, Met Éireann has said, as Ireland continues to experience unsettled weather during the wettest July in recent years.
The forecaster issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in six southern counties on Sunday.
It warned of thunder and lightning near “intense downpours” in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Tipperary and Waterford. The warning is valid until 9pm on Sunday evening.
There was at least one instance of localised flooding reported on Saturday evening, with Sligo County Council having to deal with water on the R290 between the villages of Ballysadare and Colloney.
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Following bad weather on Friday and Saturday, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council imposed swimming restrictions at popular bathing spots, including the Forty Foot and Seapoint Beach. The council will test water samples for possible pollution.
Also in Dublin, reports of a spillage into the Tolka river near to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown are being investigated by Uisce Éireann and Fingal County Council.
On Sunday, Uisce Éireann stated that the reported overspill appeared to be a storm drain “acting as designed” and discharging excess water. The authority said it would confirm the nature of the overspill in due course.
John Whittle, a trade union organiser with People Before Profit, said he had reported the issue to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Saturday, having travelled to the site.
He described seeing “yellow-brown” coloured water gushing from a storm drain into the Tolka river.
“The smell was really overpowering... gag-inducing,” Mr Whittle told The Irish Times.
He expressed worries over potential danger to wildlife in the event of a sewage spill.
On Sunday, the EPA could not confirm whether it had received any reports of a spillage at the location.
In Co Kildare, the Forever Young Festival – the 1980s nostalgia event taking place at Palmerstown House Estate – reopened fully on Sunday after day-ticket holders were shut out on Saturday because of safety concerns brought on by the weather.
A status yellow wind warning for coastal areas of Galway, Mayo and the offshore islands ended on Saturday evening at 9pm.
Meanwhile, other parts of Europe baked over the weekend, with temperatures expected to breach the 40 degrees mark in various Mediterranean tourist destinations. The extreme temperatures are expected to continue into next week.
In Italy, temperatures over the weekend were steady around the mid-30s, with cities such as Rome, Bologna and Florence on high alert. In Athens, Greece, the Acropolis was closed on Saturday in the wake of extreme heat.
In the Canary Islands, more than 4,000 people were evacuated on Saturday as wildfires ripped through 4,500 hectares on La Palma. Authorities said around a dozen homes were destroyed.
