Severe flooding hits part of country with more expected

More bad weather hammered parts of the country last night, with Cavan and Monaghan suffering severe flooding.

And more bad weather is expected today.

In Cork, an Aer Lingus flight from Heathrow had to abandon a scheduled landing and then divert to Shannon as a result of high winds.

After refuelling it landed in Cork two-and-a-half hours behind schedule.

The incident came after Met Éireann issued a severe weather warning for the Cork area, warning of high winds and forecasting possible coastal flooding that could continue today.

The Aer Lingus 715 flight was due to land in Cork Airport at 3.20pm but after one attempt at landing, the pilot decided to circle the airport. Some 20 minutes later, he decided to divert to Shannon.

A duty officer in Cork Airport said winds were blowing at a rate of 40 knots at the time. He said the fact they were crosswinds made the situation more difficult, but that the plane was never in any danger, describing the situation as “not unusual”.

Elsewhere, heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in several parts of Cavan and Monaghan.

Extensive flooding rook place on lands and on minor roads between Ballybay in Monaghan and Cootehill, Co Cavan, while several farms were also flooded in the Toome area of Monaghan.

Some roads in the area were impassable, leading to traffic diversions.

With bad weather likely to continue, Met Éireann said exceptionally high waves on Atlantic coasts were likely today, bringing a threat of coastal flooding, especially at times of high tide.

Nationally, more wind and rain is expected and spot flooding and icy patches can be expected in some parts.