Enjoy a spot of sunshine before the big wet sets in

ENJOY today’s sunshine while it lasts, because heavy rain is set to wash over the country in the coming days.

A spokesperson for Met Éireann said today’s fine weather was worth making the most of before “things go downhill”.

Winds will pick up tonight, with strong gales likely at sea, as a band of heavy rain moves up from the south overnight and into Sunday morning.

“One way or another, the weather is going to deteriorate for Sunday and Monday - in the form of heavy rain on Sunday and showery weather on Monday,” forecaster Pat Clarke said yesterday.

“We could, over Sunday and Monday, certainly get up to 50mm (two inches) of rain and with all the heavy rain that is falling there could be problems with flooding.

“All areas will have heavy showers on Monday, possibly for a time on Tuesday.

“The net effect of that is some very heavy rain and saturated ground.”

Wet and blustery conditions are predicted to continue into the early days of next week.

The wet weather is the result of warm tropical air coming up from the Florida coast, devastated by Hurricane Charley last week, and the Caribbean where Hurricane Alex hit two weeks ago.

Areas of Ireland are continuing to mop up after flash flooding, particularly in the south.

A spokesperson for the Irish Insurance Federation said it was too early to assess the cost of the damage due to the bad weather.

Flood damage estimated in excess of €1.5 million was caused at the Bishopstown Bar in Cork last Thursday.

The accident and emergency department at Cork University Hospital reopened on Thursday after flash flooding, caused by thunderstorms, forced the unit to close for 24 hours.