Dublin - A policeman drowned and a woman's body was located in a flooded residential apartment block, as a shopping mall and businesses in the Irish capital were hit early Tuesday by the heaviest rainfall in over 40 years.

Ireland's national weather service - Met Eireann - said rainfall of up to 85mm (3.3 inches), equivalent to an average month's rain, fell across the Dublin region in a period of three hours Monday night.

A policeman was washed away by flood water while directing traffic on a bridge on the River Liffey in County Wicklow. His body was located nearby. Irish police also said they found a body of a woman in a flooded apartment complex in Dublin.
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Municipal authorities in the Irish capital said they announced an emergency plan to check for flood damage to bridges as rivers in the Dublin region threatened to flood. Dublin City Council said that emergency services were alerted late Monday to deal with the heavy levels of rainfall, a spokesman said.

In south Dublin, the Dundrum shopping mall - the country's largest - was shut late Monday and its power supply disconnected when flood water poured through the first floor.

Rail and road transport continue to be disrupted, transport authorities said. Dublin's M50 ring road reopened Tuesday but other national roads outside Dublin remain flooded in parts, Irish broadcaster RTE Television reported.

Forecasters say more rain will fall in Dublin and northern counties through Tuesday but at a less intensive rate. A dry spell is then forecast through the weekend.

A spokeswoman for the Irish Insurance Federation, an industry group, said a full tally of insurance claims for flood damage to commercial and residential properties and businesses will be known early next month.