A collision on the N40 led to major queues on the South Ring this afternoon as Cork faces into a Status Orange weather warning.
The crash between Junction 7 (Douglas) and Junction 6 (Mahon) westbound, has since been cleared – but extra caution on the roads is urged today, with Cork City Fire Brigade saying that unnecessary journeys should be avoided altogether.
It comes after Met Eireann updated the Status Orange Rain Warning for Cork– moving it closer with the alert now coming into effect at 8pm and staying there until 5am Sunday morning.
That will be preceded by a Yellow Warning for Cork & Kerry with the South West Coast already seeing very heavy rain this morning as a major thunderstorm front crosses in from the Atlantic and makes its way across Munster.
The latest track of the storm looks like it will bring the very worst of the weather to West and Cork and Kerry, with up to 100mm of rain possible on the boder between the two counties. Cork City could escape the worst of the rain but it will still be very heavy this evening and through the night.
We will have live updates on travel and weather throughout the evening as the warning comes into effect. If you have pictures and videos of the conditions in your area, please send them in atnews@corkbeo.ie
We have 90 minutes until the Yellow weather warning comes into effect, and more than four hours until the Orange rain warning is active – but ESB crews have already been busy, repairing outages and restoring power to homes across the country.
As of 3:30pm, around 34 homes in Munster are affected by outages, with repairs expected by 4pm. However, as conditions worsen this evening, it's possible that more residence – especially in West Cork – could be hit by network faults.
Midleton was hit especially badly by Storm Babet in October 2023, with devastating results for hundreds of homes and businesses.
Crosshaven Coast Guard said: "There will be increased Irish Coast Guard activity around the Crosshaven, Carrigaline and Currabinny areas today from 13.30-21.00 as we host a search skills course for new members from our flanking stations.
"Remember we are still on call. If you see someone in difficulty or think they maybe in difficulty immediately dial 112/999 and ask for the Irish Coast Guard. It could save a life."
Status Orange – Rain warning for Cork, Waterford
Active from 8pm tonight until 5am tomorrow.
Status Yellow – Cork, Kerry, Waterford
Active from 5pm this evening until 5am tomorrow.
Both warnings carry alerts for potential flooding and poor travel conditions.
Locals in one West Cork town have been outraged today to find yet another mound of food waste dumped in a scenic natural area.
Full story: Another giant pile of food waste dumped at iconic West Cork nature reserve
Traffic is returning to normal along the N40 but roads are extremely wet this afternoon. Non-stop rain is expected to fall for the rest of the day into tomorrow morning.
TII have confirmed that the incident on the South Ring has been cleared – but extra caution is still urged on the roads today.
The Midleton and East Cork Flood Protection Group held a protest today to mark the two-year anniversary of Storm Babet, which saw businesses and homes in the area devestated by floodwaters. Protestors at noon today marched to demand urgent flood protection.
The campaign group said: "Orange warnings for rain bring back awful memories."
The latest track of the storm looks like it will bring the very worst of the weather to West and Cork and Kerry, with up to 100mm of rain possible on the boder between the two counties.
Cork city could escape the worst of the rain but it will still be very heavy this evening and through the night.
You can follow the track of the storm yourself here.
"Please take extra care on the roads, avoid unnecessary journeys, and never drive through floodwaters.
"Heavy rain may lead to localised flooding, difficult driving conditions, and hazardous travel overnight. Stay safe and look out for one another."
The finals have been rescheduled as follows:
Following a meeting, the CCC has decided that today’s Co-Op Superstores Intermediate A and Senior A Hurling Finals are postponed.
This decision has been made to ensure the safety of all patrons wishing to attend the games.
lyons pic.twitter.com/EpVHsrYD3W
It's very bad now on the South Ring – easbound there are queues from the Tunnel – avoid this route if possible.
Watch out also for spot flooding and possible debris later – Cork City Fire Brigade have advised people to only make necessary journeys.
Lightning strikes are being reported in West Cork and Kerry and there is a major power outage in the Gurranebane area with alomost 800 homes affected.
The power will not be restored until 5pm at the earliest – in north and west Cork you may want to have torches to hand
Red lines highlight serious delays on Cork's road network the length of the westbound South Link:
