Weather outlook more positive for Cork as spot flooding reported yesterday

A number of spot floods were reported across Cork on Monday following Storm Kathleen, in the midst of a yellow rain warning issued by Met Éireann.

Among the areas that were affected by heavy surface water and spot flooding were Church Bay Road in Crosshaven and World’s End in Kinsale.

There was flooding between Mallow and Dromahane - and Rochestown and Passage - and the Tay Road in Cobh was impassible.

“We've never had a deluge of rain like this before," said Fianna Fáil ouncillor Audrey Buckley of the surface water in Crosshaven, which could be seen in a social media post she shared online.

"I've been living on that road for 20 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it.

“I've never seen the rain cascading off the field. I'm not sure why this is happening all of a sudden.

“We have to be mindful in the future going ahead, I think with planning we need to start planting more trees, more hedgerows to soak it up,” she said.

Locals in Kinsale further confirmed that the flooding on World’s End had cleared by late morning yesterday but it posed issues for lower cars travelling out of the town in the early hours around 6am.

@CorkSafetyAlert tay rd cobh pic.twitter.com/Tu4PHqOwwg

— Cormac Griffin (@Cormieg) April 8, 2024

Later, during high-tide, Main Street in Carrigaline experienced high water levels which indicated a flood threat to the town.

Speaking on the potential flooding, Fine Gael councillor Jack White said that the council’s emergency call out team were on standby and that businesses had flood prevention tools available to them.

“The river is very high, and when it goes that high it is a threat,” he said.

“The council’s emergency call out team are on standby if needed, and businesses have flood barriers that can be put up.” 

 Further commenting on flood prevention measures in Carrigaline, Fianna Fáil councillor Seamus McGrath said: “There was an installation of non-return valves a number of months ago, and they have helped during the last number of heavy rain events.

“The valves basically stop the water from backing up the system and flowing out on to Main Street.”

Most areas will be dry on Tuesday with sunny spells and just isolated showers. Breezy with a moderate to fresh northwesterly wind. Highest temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees.

It will be dull, misty and wet with outbreaks of rain or drizzle continuing for much of Wednesday. Highest temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees in a moderate to fresh southwesterly breeze.

Dry for much of the day on Thursday with sunny spells and just a few showers. However, cloud will increase from the southwest with rain moving into the west by the evening.

Highest temperatures of 13 to 18 degrees in a light to moderate southwesterly wind.

Further outbreaks of rain are heaviest in the northwest with patchy rain and drizzle elsewhere. Highest temperatures of 12 to 17 degrees in a mostly moderate southwesterly wind.

Overall, it will become cooler with further spells of rain and showers for the coming days.