M50 floods as Status Orange warning brings thunderstorms and showers

Heavy rain poured down in the capital earlier today as the heatwave came to an end, with a section of the M50 flooding around lunchtime.

Motorists have been advised to take care between Junctions 4 Ballymun and 5 Finglas today as traffic continues to move very slowly.

An Garda Síochana warned: “Traffic on the M50 Northbound is moving extremely slowly due to flooding between Junctions 4 & 5. Traffic is down to one lane in this section of the motorway but has come to a near standstill. Please avoid if at all possible.”

A Status Orange warning remains in place for Dublin, Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Kildare, Wicklow, and all counties in Munster from 9am until 10pm today.

Met Eireann said not all areas will be affected but some places will experience flooding due to heavy downpours.

The national forecaster said: “Thunderstorm activity expected. Due to the sporadic nature of development, not all areas will be affected. Heavy downpours of rain and hail will occur in places. Flooding where heavy downpours occur.”

A warning for the entire country was in place overnight but has since been reduced to the above areas.

And while the glorious spell of good weather has come to an end, temperatures are predicted to reach highs of 22C in the southeast.

Showers will gradually die out in the south by this evening to leave a mostly dry night with clear spells.