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Storm Babet: Yellow weather warning in place for NI

PA Media MidletonPA Media
Midleton in County Cork was "impassable" as a month's worth of rain fell

A yellow weather warning for rain is in place for Northern Ireland as Storm Babet is due to bring heavy and prolonged downpours.

The Met Office warning began at 14:00 BST on Wednesday and will end at 10:00 on Thursday.

The main focus is on counties Antrim and Down, where the heaviest rain is most likely on high ground.

In the Republic of Ireland, the army has been deployed in County Cork as weather conditions worsen.

More than 100 homes have been flooded in the town of Midleton, Cork County Council said.

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The road network has been severely disrupted and the council is asking drivers to make only essential journeys.

Irish Defence Forces have been deployed to the area to provide support.

There are also reports of homes being flooded in a number of other areas across the county. The council estimates that a month's worth of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours.

It is expected rainfall will vary quite a bit in Northern Ireland, with the Mourne Mountains expected to be hit with heavy downpours.

Higher ground to the east could see up to 100mm of rain, close to what is expected during the whole month of October.

About 30-50mm of rain can be expected over some lower areas of Northern Ireland.

PA Media Waves lash the Irish coast, spraying buildings and a roadPA Media
Strong winds caused by Storm Agnes created dramatic scenes in Tramore, County Waterford

Although rain is expected to be the main impact of Storm Babet, some very strong and gusty winds from the south east are also forecast.

Together with the rain, the wind could make impacts worse, especially around the east coast.

The Met Office is warning of possible flooding, difficult travel conditions, and that power and other essential services could be affected.

Storm Babet would be the second named storm of the season after Storm Agnes caused disruption in parts of Northern Ireland last month.

In the Republic of Ireland, a Status Orange rain warning has been issued for counties Cork, Kerry and Waterford.

Pacemaker Press A Man using an umbrella in the rainPacemaker Press
Pedestrians may need their coats and umbrellas as Storm Babet moves towards Northern Ireland

Gardaí (Irish police) said Midleton was "impassable" to traffic due to ongoing adverse weather conditions.

In a statement, Cork County Mayor Cllr Frank O'Flynn said: "I am calling on the people of Cork to please avoid unnecessary travel, take extreme care if you must set off on a journey and please think of vulnerable road users, especially pedestrians and cyclists."

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A separate Status Yellow rain warning has also been issued for several counties from Tuesday mid-morning until Wednesday evening.