A status yellow weather warning remains in place as local authorities warn more flooding could be on the way in first half of this week.
Met Éireann has forecast strong winds on Tuesday morning with showers in the west and the south of the country becoming heavier as it spreads eastwards through the middle of the day. Temperatures will remain mild with highs of 12 degrees.
Some rivers across the country remain in a “perilous” state following Storm Desmond, and the flood risk may persist for more than a week according to the National Emergency Co-ordination Council.
Local authorities have warned more flooding is probable in the first half of this week, with councils in Westmeath, Limerick and Clare all informing residents of potential risks to property.
Houses in the low-lying areas of Athlone such as Deerpark and Carrickobrien/Clonbonny may be susceptible to rising water levels on the river Shannon, according to Westmeath County Council, while a "significant release of water" from Parteen Weir by the ESB could affect properties in southeast Clare and Co Limerick as well as the University of Limerick grounds.
The ESB has also warned there may be flooding of roads and lands upstream of Cork city over the coming days as it increases discharges from its dams at Inniscarra and Carrigadrohid on the River Lee.
Wednesday will be windy throughout the day with wet weather in western and southern coastal counties. It will be dry elsewhere in the country but heavy rain will develop in the east on Wednesday evening.
The rainy weather will continue on Thursday in most of Connacht, Ulster and west Munster, with further showers turning wintry in the north and northwest of the country on Friday.
Temperatures will drop later in the week with severe overnight frost and lows of -2 degrees on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Iarnród Éireann has advised customers that the Carrick-on-Shannon to Longford section of the Sligo to Dublin Connolly is expected to remain closed due to flooding until this weekend at the earliest.
Flood levels are currently one foot above the rail head on the line – which has been closed since Sunday morning – and are not receding at present, with further heavy rainfall expected.
In addition, the Athenry to Gort section on the Limerick to Galway (Western Rail Corridor) line was closed Tuesday morning due to flooding. Bus transfers are operating between Ennis and Galway as a result. This is expected to remain closed for at least 48 hours.
Sligo line service alterations
While this continues, the following service alterations will be in place:
- All Sligo/Dublin Connolly services in both directions will have bus transfers between Carrick-on-Shannon and Longford, resulting in delays of 30-60 minutes
- 16.00hrs Dublin Connolly to Sligo service is cancelled
AA Roadwatch has reminded car drivers to reduce their speed and keep a safe distance from vehicles driving in front of them. Drivers should only drive through water if they know it’s not too deep for their vehicle and extra care should be taken when driving in the evening and at night when it becomes more difficult to judge the levels of flooding.
Members of the National Emergency Coordination Council met on Monday afternoon to discuss severe weather events over the weekend. Chairman Seán Hogan said the rivers Shannon and Moy are "particularly on edge" with further flooding expected along the upper Shannon later this week.
Towns such as Ballybofey in Donegal, Crossmolina in Mayo, Ballinasloe in Galway and Bandon in Cork were worst affected as an unprecedented 100mm of rain fell over a 24-hour period across parts of the west on Friday and Saturday.
Some ESB substations, water and wastewater treatment plants were also affected, and boil water notices have been issued in some areas as a precautionary measure.
“We have seen the images of nature in action over the weekend, and despite the warnings and the efforts of all involved, properties were affected by flood waters in Cork, Kerry, Clare, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal and indeed in other areas,” Mr Hogan said.
“This is terrible in the run up to Christmas. For some, this is a repeat of previous experiences of flooding, so they know what the pain is and it’s worse for that.
Traders and residents in Bandon are continuing the clean-up effort after about 30 businesses were flooded on Saturday, with many unhappy about delays in implementing a €10 million flood relief scheme for the area.
Elsewhere, 48 elderly residents had to be evacuated from a nursing home in Foxford during a rescue operation which lasted until 3.30am on Monday morning. A similar scene unfolded in Ballytivnan, Co Sligo, where 13 nursing home residents were evacuated amid rising flood waters.
The Civil Defence was called on to help move residents from parts of Athleague where the River Suck burst its banks.
The Irish Farmers’ Association said thousands of acres of farmland have been “devastated” following the weekend’s deluge, and has called on Government ministers to visit the worst-affected areas.