DUBLIN, Ireland: More than 50mm of rain fell in parts of counties Louth and Dublin on July 21, as intense downpours triggered Status Orange thunderstorm and rain warnings from Met Éireann.
The alerts, which also covered Meath and Wicklow, remained in place until 2:00 pm, warning of surface flooding, hazardous travel conditions, lightning damage, and severely reduced visibility.
Brandon Creagh, a Met Éireann forecaster, confirmed that Dundalk in County Louth recorded 60mm of rainfall, while Ardee and parts of Dublin also saw totals exceeding 50mm. Coastal areas remained stable, but some smaller rivers posed a flooding risk.
The heavy rainfall led to provisional record-breaking levels for July at both Phoenix Park and Dunsany weather stations. Phoenix Park logged 48mm—surpassing its previous July record by 12mm—while Dunsany in Meath recorded 55.4mm, 7.4mm more than its 2013 record.
In the UK, the Met Office issued an amber alert for Antrim, Armagh, and Down until 8:00 am the day before. A yellow warning remained in place for those counties until 6:00 pm.
In Dublin, Children's Health Ireland reported flooding at Temple Street hospital, though no major disruptions to patient care occurred. The hospital emphasized its commitment to keeping patients, families, and staff safe, promising to contact families directly if any care plans were affected.
Further north, in County Fermanagh, video footage captured significant flooding at the Marble Arch Caves and on local roads, including the Sligo Road in Enniskillen, which police declared impassable. A PSNI spokesperson urged motorists to take caution on waterlogged routes.
Meanwhile, a Status Yellow warning for Kildare and Monaghan also expired at 2:00 pm. In Limerick, a flash flood in Dromcollogher prompted a swift response by local authorities, who distributed sandbags and received assistance from farmers supplying water pumps. Limerick's fire crews stood down around 2:00 am as water levels dropped, and roads were reopened by morning.
Looking ahead, July 23 and 24 are expected to bring a break in the rain, with isolated showers and temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees Centigrade. On July 24, rain and drizzle are forecast to return in western and southwestern coastal areas later in the day.
July 25 will begin cloudy with scattered showers, but sunny spells are expected to break through, and temperatures may reach 20 degrees Centigrade. July 26 promises mostly dry weather with more sunshine and scattered showers, although heavier rain may arrive by the following day.
