Wet weather to continue next week after flooding in Cork

Cork City Council’s flood assessment team reviews forecasted super spring tides which are expected to result in ‘significant tidal flooding’ in low-lying areas of Cork city centre

Flooding in Midleton, Co Cork, this month caused by Storm Babet. Wet and unsettled weather caused flooding in parts of Cork city on Sunday. Photograph: Maria Kring/PA Wire
Flooding in Midleton, Co Cork, this month caused by Storm Babet. Wet and unsettled weather caused flooding in parts of Cork city on Sunday. Photograph: Maria Kring/PA Wire

The wet, windy and unsettled weather that led to flooding in parts of Cork on Sunday is set to continue next week, according to Met Éireann. Members of the public who attended the Guinness Jazz Festival in Cork were asked to be mindful of their safety and the welfare of others during a flood period expected on Sunday evening.

Cork City Council’s flood assessment team met on Sunday to review the forecasted super spring tides which were expected to result in “significant tidal flooding” in low-lying areas of Cork city centre at high tide.

A status yellow rain warning was in place for Cavan, Monaghan, Connacht, Longford, Louth, and Westmeath on Sunday, with heavy and prolonged showers forecast.

Met Éireann meteorologist Brandon Creagh said a number of locations recorded rainfall of 20mm, which was less than expected but that wet soil and high tides currently have increased the risk of flooding.

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“We had a number of status yellow rain warnings, and that was due to quite a few heavy showers around. The soils are so saturated at the moment that anything that does fall can tip us into flooding territory. There are also very high tides at the moment, which are causing issues in coastal areas as well. It will stay very unsettled for the rest of the week, with low pressures systems staying over the country.”

Mr Creagh said showers would move up over the country from the south on Monday, starting in Cork before making their way north gradually through the day, with the potential for them to turn thundery.

After that a secondary low pressure will move in from the Atlantic bringing more wet and windy conditions, while, on Wednesday Storm Ciarán will make landfall. “There is still uncertainty over the track of that system at the moment,” said Mr Creagh.

Colin Gleeson

Colin Gleeson

Colin Gleeson is an Irish Times reporter