Weather warning after flooding chaos

WIDESPREAD flooding throughout the country – which closed towns and businesses, inundated hundreds of farms, homes and schools and caused traffic chaos – is likely to be repeated over the weekend as forecasters predict a continuation of unsettled conditions.

Many areas had four times their normal rainfall in a 24-hour period and last night, as emergency mop-up operations were being staged in many regions, with parts of Sligo, Clare, Kerry and west Cork being worst hit, gardaí warned motorists not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

The record-breaking rainfalls this week along the west coast are a foretaste of new weather patterns due to climate change, an NUI Galway geography lecturer has warned.