Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Flooding has hit parts of Northern Ireland and people have been warned not to travel, amid heavy rain and weather warnings.
Parts of Newry in County Down are under water after the city’s canal burst its banks on Monday. Police warned the public not to travel between 21:00 GMT on Monday and 09:00 GMT on Tuesday.
Train lines, roads and some bus services have been affected by the flooding.
An amber warning for heavy rain was in place in counties Armagh, Antrim and Down until 09:00 GMT on Tuesday.
It is the second-highest level of alert, indicating an increased risk of flooding and disruption.
Most of Northern Ireland will remain under a yellow warning for rain until until noon, with another yellow warning coming into effect from 21:00 on Tuesday until 09:00 on Wednesday.
A yellow warning indicates the weather is likely to have some impact, for example travel disruption. Further heavy rain is expected on Thursday as Storm Ciarán arrives.
The persistent wet conditions on saturated ground and with higher river levels will inevitably lead to more localised flooding.
Travel disruption
Monitoring of water levels and tides has been ongoing and will continue until the weather warnings have elapsed, it said.
A number of roads are closed, including the A2 Killowen Road in Rostrevor which has been shut due to the possibility of landslides.
Translink said that the train line between Portadown and Newry has been closed until further notice due to flooding, with a bus substitution in place between Lanyon Place and Newry.
There have also been adjustments to bus services, including Belfast to Newcastle, Newcastle to Kilkeel and the surrounding area with Camlough, south Armagh, not be served by a bus.
The Met Office is warning of between 25mm and 50mm of rain in places. Up to 100mm is also possible over higher ground, with risks of possible flooding.
A number of homes and businesses have already been affected.
In Dromantine, County Down, approximately 100 sheep were stranded in a flooded field on Monday.
About 70 were rescued by local farmers, with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service rescuing the remaining 30.
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