CORK City Council has reissued a flood warning for many parts of the city that will stretch until Thursday evening.

Cork City Council’s Flood Assessment Team met yesterday due to a forecasted period of high astronomical spring tides, that will run until tomorrow evening.

Road restrictions have been put in place to ensure smooth flow of traffic in impacted areas. Parking was restricted yesterday evening on Morrison’s Island, due to flood risk this morning.

Cork Business Association (CBA) president Kevin Herlihy urged retailers to make use of sandbags made available from the City Council.

“The city council have made sandbags available; people would need to check the websites. But there are sandbags available. Retailers should take stock off the floors in their stores and try to prepare for it,” said Mr Herlihy.

“You’d find a lot of the retailers in the city centre are very experienced and very resilient when it comes to it as lot of them have been around for a long time, particularly retailers around Oliver Plunkett St and other areas.”

It is likely some roads and parking areas along low-lying quays in the city centre may suffer localised flooding during high tides.

⚠️Flood Warning for 21-23 March

⬅️Cork City Council wish to advise that there will be a period of high astronomical Spring tides in the coming days

🅿️Some roads & parking areas along low-lying quays in the city centre may flood

👨‍💻For full info: https://t.co/Zey7cAu95D pic.twitter.com/YCLulfJOzM

— Cork City Council (@corkcitycouncil) March 20, 2023

Areas potentially impacted include: Morrison’s Quay, Fr Matthew Quay, Trinity Bridge, Union Quay, Sharman Crawford St, Wandesford Quay, Frenche’s Quay, Proby’s Quay, Crosses Green, Lavitt’s Quay, Kyrl’s Quay, South Terrace, Rutland St, Sawmill St, and South Mall.

Mr Herlihy added: “It’s just trying to batten down the hatches and try and get through the next couple of days.

“Hopefully by Friday, it should clear up. It’s not even the rain, it’s the astronomical spring tides.”

Commuters are advised to drive with care and crews will be deployed across the city.

High tide occurred at 5.53am this morning and will come again at 6.13pm. Tomorrow’s high tides are at 6.35am and 6.52pm.

Today will start out with sunny spells and scattered showers. It will become breezier and cloudier as the day goes on with blustery showers becoming widespread during the afternoon. 

Some of the showers will be heavy, with a chance of hail and isolated thunderstorms. Highs of 9C to 11C in a moderate to fresh and gusty south-westerly wind, strong near the coast.