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Updated at 13.10pm
THE BIG CLEAN-UP is under way this afternoon, after some homes and businesses were damaged in flash flooding overnight.
A prolonged heavy, thundery downpour in the Dublin area caused an “eruption” in call-outs for the city’s fire brigade, a spokesperson for the service said. Midleton in Cork was also badly affected, with some damage caused to buildings on the town’s main street.
The deluge in calls to Dublin Fire Brigade began at around midnight, the spokesperson told TheJournal.ie, adding that the situation was back to normal within a few hours. At the height of the storm, 20 units were out dealing with flooding and related problems.
“From around two minutes past midnight there was an eruption in calls – at one stage we had every unit out,” the spokesperson said.
“We were getting calls from all over. On the northside – from Ballymun and Glasnevin – to Dolphin’s Barn and The Coombe”.
Gardaí said there had been no reports of any serious injuries caused by the stormy weather, and Dublin City Council said there were no “major flooding incidents”.
A small number of patients had to be transferred to new beds at Dublin’s Mater Hospital after damage to the roof of the facility’s High Dependency Unit. A spokesperson for the hospital said the area was above nurses’ station, and that the problem wasn’t serious.
Wexford Street, Dublin. Around midnight (Image: Abie Philbin Bowman)
Some businesses have been left counting the cost – the roof of the landmark Clerys Department Store was badly damaged in the storm, and the shop is to remain closed today. According to management:
This morning at approximately ten minutes past midnight, the Clerys Department Store building on O’Connell Street, Dublin, incurred damage during a period of heavy rainfall combined with thunder and lightening.
The Store is currently closed due to damage assessment being carried out.
The entrance to Clerys on O’Connell Street, pictured this morning (Image: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)
Dublin City Council said its drainage crews responded to a number of flooding incidents throughout the night, but that there were no serious issues – with road flooding quickly abating. According to a statement:
The Council is aware of flooding in a small number of basements and has responded to these. Drainage Response Crew will remain on alert throughout the day and respond to any issues which may arise.
The public can report concerns at 222 2222.
A unit of the fire brigade was called out to deal with drainage problems outside the popular Doyle’s Pub close to Trinity College, but a staff member at the bar told TheJournal.ie they were fully open this afternoon, and that the interior had not been affected.
The scene at Doyles in Dublin city centre this morning (Image: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)
A press officer in Trinity College said there had been no major problems at the university overnight, and that that they were “categorically not under-water”.
TheJournal.ie’s concern was prompted by the image below, posted by Jack Leahy of TCD Students’ Union at around midnight.
(Image: Jack Leahy)
In Cork county, shop-owners and householders in the centre of Midleton are continuing their clean-up operation, after rising floodwaters hit the area overnight.
According to AA Roadwatch, most flood waters have now subsiding, but motorists in Wicklow are being warned of some lingering surface water on the county’s roads this afternoon.
DART services are still off between Greystones and Bray as a result of lightning damage overnight. Irish Rail says the problem is expected to continue for the rest of the day as repairs are carried out.
Full rail services are now back in operation on the Maynooth & M3 Parkway to Clonsilla line following an earlier fault.
In terms of further downpours – Met Éireann says there’s an “ongoing threat of thunder and spot flooding” for the rest of the day, mainly across the northwest of the country. Scattered thunderstorms are also forecast for tonight.
If you were lucky enough to sleep through last night’s dramatic weather, check out this footage taken by Conor Steenson in Dublin:
(Youtube: Conor Steenson)
Kilkenny was also hit by the thunder and lightning, as filmed below by ‘Dave Knoximus’.
The footage captures a power cut in the city at around the 2m 40s mark. (Note: ‘Dave’ makes frequent use of the f-word throughout this):
(Youtube: Dave Knoximus )
A spokesperson for the ESB told TheJournal.ie there were no reports of lasting outages in the Kilkenny area. There were, however, elsewhere.
- An earlier version of this story was posted at 8.15am
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I must have slept through it wasnt expecting this news this morning.
I went to bed when the thunder and lightening started. Slept through it too. Thats a mad picture in Trinners.
Can’t believe you just said trinners, mother of jaysus!
Its called sarcasm Mr. Stafford!!!!!!!
Now that I think of it though, wrong, so wrong!!!!!!
Calling Trinity “Trinners” isn’t even remotely sarcastic. It’s just cringe.
Well snug, when ur a northsider who went to Trinity, calling it Trinners is very sacrcastic!!!!!
Trinners for Winners as we say down in Limerick .. (or used to in a sarcastic form when referring to Trinity Rooms nightclub)
Thank you Aoife, exactly!!!!!!!!
Us Northsiders use it to take the proverbial out of the Southsiders!!!! and the Northsiders who behave like the Southsiders once they step in the doors. Yes, that still exists.
So we are supposed to guess the context! Still cringe!
Get a life u absolute muppett.
Id say u cry into ur cornflakes every morning when u cant get it up!
All of you go to your rooms now!.
AAAAWWWWW but I am hungry Hedley :(
@Snug Referring to something as “cringe” is equally annoying in my opinion…
I remember Trinners for Winner kiiiiiid. Pure daycint.
Shocking stuff from who’s yer man & aoife there. If you say trinners is for winners you need a kick in the box!
Twas savage sham
Ah Brian, have you ever been? You’d get it then.
I am so so sorry to have offended you Brian. One hopes that ones apology will suffice. I have seen the error of my ways. Trinity Rooms was a fine establishment, and many a good night was had there, jolly good….
I think resorting to threats of physical violence was bang out of order.
oh a little rant there my gf haa
Trinners for shinners
@ Martin She clearly has a few screws loose….. and a few cobwebs somewhere else.
Ha, hello mr. xx
I worked in U.C.D. For ten years, can I call it Uni Colly Dubby???
Call it what you want, you could call it DCU!!!! Then its backwards!!
Only In Ireland can we go from drought to floods in the space of a week!
What about monsoons? What about when the great floods descend over vast desert areas of Africa? Not only in Ireland
I was in New Zealand about 6 years ago and literally experienced the full 4 seasons in one day, most ridiculous changes in weather I’ve ever witnessed. I think the Island existence lends itself well to random and sudden changes in weather.
Your right there Ted
As a young lad thunder used to scare the crap out of me and the dog. My Irish Mammy put my mind at rest stating “It was only God dropping the dishes”
you should have sang the “Thunder Buddy” song
God used to be moving furniture around according my Ma!
OK I will ask , What’s the “Thunder Buddy” song Mat.
Was it not Mary having to be told twice for doing her egg and chips routine!?!
its from the film “Ted”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9PnNW56bp0&feature=youtube_gdata_player there ya go Hedley
When everybody asks for just a ‘tiny drop’ of rain to ease the heat wave this is the collective result.
GRAND!
The situation was “back to normal” should read – The Summer was “back to normal”
It moved over my house at one point so the lightening lit up on both sides of the house & the thunder that followed clapped so loud & long the windows shook. I was on my own curled like a foetus in the middle of my bed afraid of everything! Then I heard the flood crews outside & figured all would be okay.
It never rains but it pours!
AHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA! Good one Niall! Keep ‘em coming!
that wouldnt have happend if we had our water meters installed
Look’s like rain Ted!
I am so jealous we didn’t get that in Wexford last night! I love thunder and lightening. I sat up for hours with the blind up waiting and all we got were two flashes and a small rumble of thunder.
What is with your man having an orgasm over the lighting in Kilkenny.
Its kinda creepy……he’s definitely having some over 18 fun id say. An odd fetish that is!
Stormgasm Lad.
You could hardy call them sudden. They’ve been forecast for weeks.
Thunder is God havin dioreha!
day off for the hubby today as he works in clerys.hopefully not too much damage done though or it might be a permanent day off.
Better not throw out my ark just yet then ……
I have to laugh all the same, last week they said we will get a fine if we use water to hose the garden, now we have an hour of bad weather and roofs fall in and places flood, we are equipped for jack sh.. why are we paying for zero services …..
The rest of the country seemed to get it very bad. We only had 3 hours of faint lightening and thunder off in the distance. Thank god because i stayed curled up on the couch on my own afraid to go to the bathroom or kitchen incase id catch a glimpse of a flash out the windows. Yes, i’m big baby
What was that about a hosepipe ban?!
Trying to conserve the water! We had it in tipperary! Country is gas! Never set up for the weather!! Hotter than hell last week and building an ark this week!!
Had my two year old looking out the window at the thunder and lightning! He kept saying “oooh wow!”
I’m well jealous … I LOVE thunder and lightning. None here in West Cork yet. Maybe tonight … fingers crossed :)
While you were sleeping were going from one weather extreme to the next what’s the winter got in store for us
Just after midnight in Rathgar, a sudden and stunning flash of fork lightening, followed by an IMMEDIATE clap of thunder certainly came as a wake up call here. Sleeping upstairs under the flat roof, the sound of the teeming downpour was like a thousand bongos beating.
Wow. Some people get very excired of a what was really a small lightning show.
Typical rural irish. Never travel the world apart from a few scabby spanish holidays. So wouldny know real weather storms.
you going traveling again anytime soon?…please.
Oooh look at you! You’re so great putting people down. Nasty
Simon doesn’t go on holidays he goes travelling, he gets immersed in the culture and finds himself. He is therefore up his own asrehole.
Ha ha ha that’s hilarious!!
@Sluazcanal I don’t think immersing yourself in another’s culture means you’re necessarily up your own arsehole.
Lets face it, the majority of Irish are quite ignorant when abroad. They go to some kip in the Mediterranean, drink at the Irish bar, watch the premiership and complain about the foreign beer.
Simon it has to be said that you are a d*ickhead.
It’s a short hop to Atlanta. That or Tampa would scare the crap out of you. But last night, I just opened my back door as a bolt hit the steel poles supporting our clothes line. There was molten metal spatter visible on the pole and another kind of spatter visible in my….oh, never mind.
Martin you must be most people or have a very bad view of your own crowd. Yawn.
Will, is it true or not Mary? The majority of Irish don’t like to venture out of their comfort zones.
Of course, that can be said for pretty much every nationality. I lament.
Every other modernised country’s people stay in their own country, work for a living and go on a holiday in the summer. Irish people have always decided to travel the world picking mushrooms or evading the American government in basements and attics like Anne Frank instead.
Have you been on a J1? Is it really that different for a student to get pissed as often as possibly, hang around with your same mates and live at a pittance in America as it is in Ireland? Hardly out of their comfort zone, is it?
An Uncle of mine worked in Guinness used to tell us de Thunder was the barrels being rolled out
This looks like an average night we would get at least once a week over here in South Carolina. It’s cos of the heat you guys have been having.
I freakin’ love storms!
Remember according to oil and gas companies climate change is a myth.
It is. Or do yo u have proof?
They don’t say it’s a myth, they just say it’s not man made.
It always was flash floods after intense heat. Does not mean summer is over, thunder & lightning is rare in winter, enjoy the coolness before the next heat wave .
clerys wasnt due to the weather.it was flooded due to a roof support joint collapsing and bursting the main pipe for sprinkler system causing extensive damage.it could be closed for weeks.
Thats normal storm weather over this way great thing to wittness. Seen the best storms on Long Beach in NY.
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