Home / Weather / Northern Ireland braces for more heavy rain and flooding
Northern Ireland braces for more heavy rain and flooding
6 Feb
Summary
- Department for Infrastructure teams are on standby for flooding and road closures.
- Yellow rain warning active until Friday evening for five counties.
- Saturated ground from January's record rain increases flood risk significantly.
Authorities in Northern Ireland have placed their roads and rivers teams on standby in anticipation of severe weather. Multiple weather warnings are active, with a yellow rain warning issued for counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Londonderry, and Tyrone until midnight on Friday. This alert comes after weeks of persistent heavy rain, which has left the ground saturated. January saw record rainfall across the region, making it highly susceptible to further downpours.
Significant disruption is possible, especially in Counties Down and Antrim, with potential for flooding of homes and businesses. Hazardous travel conditions are expected due to strong southeasterly winds and large waves along the east coast. The Department for Infrastructure has indicated that road closures or temporary restrictions may become necessary to manage the situation.
In the Republic of Ireland, similar weather alerts are in effect, including an orange warning for Louth and yellow warnings for other counties. Met Éireann has warned of likely flooding due to saturated ground, high river levels, and tides. Several local authorities are actively managing flood risks, deploying crews to clear debris and providing sandbags where needed. A study has linked the recent heavy rainfall to climate change.
