Dublin Floods Cause Traffic Chaos
Heavy rainfall in Irish capital triggers evacuations and road and rail closures
Floods have caused chaos in Dublin today with the Irish capital's fire brigade appealing for people not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary.
Twenty people were evacuated from apartments on Sherrard Street in the early hours due to flooding, many roads were affected and some commuter rail services were not operating.
The fire brigade has asked people not to drive into areas where roads are flooded to avoid the risk of becoming stranded.
More than two weeks of average rainfall was recorded at Dublin airport in one hour, although the airport remained open.
Passengers were advised to give themselves extra time to reach the airport in Dublin's north side because of flooding on some approach roads.
The Mater Misericordiae hospital was asking the public not to attend its accident and emergency department because a roof had collapsed in the old part of the hospital. Patients had to be moved from one ward.
It said people with outpatient appointments should attend as normal, while those scheduled to have elective surgery should contact the hospital before leaving home to check if their appointment had been affected.
The Dart inner city rail line was flooded at Dún Laoghaire and there was no service between Dalkey and Dún Laoghaire.
The water was more than half a meter above the rail line and Iarnród Éireann, the state railway company, said it would be some time before the line reopened.
A spokesman said they were monitoring the situation and would resume services as soon as possible.
Early morning motorists said the worst-hit areas in Dublin were like "swimming pools".
Several major routes on both sides of the city were flooded with many routes impassable.
The M1 at the entrance to the port tunnel which goes beneath the river Liffey was barely passable in one lane only. The other three lanes were impassable.
Irish police said the southbound slip road at the junction of the M1/M50 interchange at north Dublin was affected, as were Newlands Cross on the N7 and Rathcoole.
The situation was expected to worsen as more rain was expected and water coming down from the mountains would not be able to escape into the sea.
Torrential downpours were also reported in parts of the south and east as well as the Irish midlands.
Twenty people were evacuated from apartments on Sherrard Street in the early hours due to flooding, many roads were affected and some commuter rail services were not operating.
The fire brigade has asked people not to drive into areas where roads are flooded to avoid the risk of becoming stranded.
More than two weeks of average rainfall was recorded at Dublin airport in one hour, although the airport remained open.
Passengers were advised to give themselves extra time to reach the airport in Dublin's north side because of flooding on some approach roads.
The Mater Misericordiae hospital was asking the public not to attend its accident and emergency department because a roof had collapsed in the old part of the hospital. Patients had to be moved from one ward.
It said people with outpatient appointments should attend as normal, while those scheduled to have elective surgery should contact the hospital before leaving home to check if their appointment had been affected.
The Dart inner city rail line was flooded at Dún Laoghaire and there was no service between Dalkey and Dún Laoghaire.
The water was more than half a meter above the rail line and Iarnród Éireann, the state railway company, said it would be some time before the line reopened.
A spokesman said they were monitoring the situation and would resume services as soon as possible.
Early morning motorists said the worst-hit areas in Dublin were like "swimming pools".
Several major routes on both sides of the city were flooded with many routes impassable.
The M1 at the entrance to the port tunnel which goes beneath the river Liffey was barely passable in one lane only. The other three lanes were impassable.
Irish police said the southbound slip road at the junction of the M1/M50 interchange at north Dublin was affected, as were Newlands Cross on the N7 and Rathcoole.
The situation was expected to worsen as more rain was expected and water coming down from the mountains would not be able to escape into the sea.
Torrential downpours were also reported in parts of the south and east as well as the Irish midlands.
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