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Chaos reigned this morning after the country downpours and high winds lashed overnight. Torrential rain and high winds caused havoc in Dublin and Cork -- but conditions were expected to improve by this evening. Heavy rain from around 3am was too much for the drainage systems to cope with, causing water to build up on several major roads, particularly in south and west Dublin.

And it was a similar story in Cork this morning where city streets were under as much as two-feet of water as high tide blighted the city.

Impassable

In Dublin, AA Roadwatch reported serious flooding around the Tallaght area, with the road impassable at the Jobstown Inn, and from the Old Bawn junction on the N81 Tallaght Bypass down to the M50 junction.

Several cars stalled on the N81 after driving through flooded areas. Traffic in the area was heavy inbound during morning rush hour as motorists queued to try to negotiate the floods by driving one-by-one on the higher footpaths beside the affected roads.

Further west on the N81 there was heavy flooding from Brittas to Tallaght.

The Longmile Road, was said to be flooded, too, as was the Strawberry Beds from Larachon to Tinkers Hill.

Motorists on the M1 northbound were unable to exit at Junction 6 Balbriggan as the off-ramp was under water. One motorist was seen standing on the roof of his car as he tried to get assistance.

Dublin City Council said it is on tidal watch as the high tide at lunchtime approaches, but that the situation was "below tidal alert".