Persistent rain will lead to flooding and transport disruption on Thursday
The Met Office has issued an urgent weather alert for Northern Ireland, with the amount of rainfall for half a month forecast to fall in one day on Thursday.
January is typically Northern Ireland’s wettest month, with an average monthly rainfall of around 80mm in Belfast. On Thursday, some parts of Northern Ireland are expected to see 40mm worth of rainfall. As a result, the Met Office has issued a yellow rain warning for Northern Ireland, commencing at 10am on Thursday and lasting into the night until 11pm.
A Met Office spokesperson confirmed forecasters issued the alert at 3.53am on Thursday, January 22 and will impact Co Antrim, Co Armagh, Co Down, Co Londonderry, and Co Tyrone.
“Persistent rain is set to hit the region, beginning at around 10am on Thursday and clearing by 11pm,” the spokesperson said.
“Periods of rain are expected during Thursday. 15 to 25mm is likely to fall widely during the course of the day, with 30 to 40 mm possible in a few spots, mainly on high ground.” They added: “This may lead to some flooding and transport disruption. The rain is expected to clear northwards during Thursday night.”
As a result, bus and train services may be affected, with people across Northern Ireland to be wary of delays and cancellations for the public transport network.
The Met Office spokesperson said: “Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.”
People across Northern Ireland are advised to expect delays to public transport, with bus and train services likely affected and journey times taking longer. Motorists and pedestrians are advised that spray and flooding on roads is also probable.
The Met Office has the following advice for flooded roads, which can be boiled down to ‘if it’s flooded, forget it’.
The spokesperson said: “If the road is flooded, turn around and find another route. The number one cause of death during flooding is driving through flood water, so the safest advice is turn around, don’t drown.
They added: “Although the water may seem shallow, just 12 inches, or 30cm, of moving water can float your car, potentially taking it to deeper water from which you may need rescuing.”
Motorists are also warned that floodwaters can contain hidden hazards that could harm your car. “Just an egg-cupful of water sucked into your car’s engine will lead to severe damage,” the Met Office spokesperson said.
Heavy rainfall can cause flooding to homes, businesses, other buildings, an roadways.
“This can be dangerous and can happen very quickly. The effects can be devastating,” the Met Ofgfice spokesperson said, adding that people in Northern Ireland can check if they are at risk via the NI Direct website’s flood map services.
