The North's Minister for Social Development, Conor Murphy, is to consult with the heads of water and road services after flash flooding caused widespread disruption in Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland yesterday.
A heavy downpour around lunchtime snarled up traffic in many parts of Belfast with a number of motorists forced to abandon their cars while whole streets were heavily flooded.
In the space of 30 minutes, fire and rescue services answered 200 emergency calls. East Belfast suffered worst with shops and schools closed and even Parliament Buildings at Stormont sustaining leaks.
The Connswater shopping complex was forced to close after the torrential rain leaked through the roof. The nearby Strandtown primary school had to shut down, while the front desk of Strandtown PSNI station closed for a period because of the leaks.
Rain leaked into the third and fourth floors of Parliament Buildings while the Assembly was in session and while the Electoral Commission was publishing a report on the March Assembly elections. There was also widespread flooding in parts of Tyrone, Antrim and Down.
In Ladas Drive, east Belfast, people were stranded, either stuck in their houses or unable to return to their homes because of flooding, as fire crews tried to pump away the water. The busy Castlereagh and Ravenhill roads were subjected to heavy flooding. Motorists and bus passengers were forced to abandon vehicles.
In Raphoe, Co Donegal, hundreds of thousands of euro worth of damage was caused when a flash flood hit Ireland's highest town shortly after 2pm.
A wall collapsed at St Eunan's national school as parents arrived to pick up children and students sitting their Leaving Cert at the Royal and Prior school were interrupted when an exam hall was flooded.
