Weather: No immediate let-up in rain as Ciaran approaches

It means there will be no immediate let up in the torrential, stormy conditions which have battered the Province in recent days, and left parts of Co Down in particular dealing with flooded roads and residential streets.

Today, the A26 Glenavy Road near Lisburn was closed due to flooding, plus other roads between the Moira roundabout and Lisnabilla/Station Roads.

At the weekend images circulated online of a woman paddle-boarding down a totally flooded neighbourhood in Ballyholme, Bangor, while the town’s train station was temporarily shut due to flooding.

The weather in Northern Ireland is the largely result of Storm Ciaran which is due to roll in across the the UK during midweek, mainly affecting southern England and Wales but leaving the rest of the British Isles feeling the effects too.

The amber alert is due to expire at 9am.

It covers an area from Belfast down to Portaferry in the south-east to Armagh city.

The Met Office said that amber alerts can spell “fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life”.

It also says that “extensive flooding of homes and businesses is possible” and that in the worst cases “building collapse might happen” and “communities could be completely cut off by floodwater, perhaps for several days”.

Alongside that are the typical warnings of transport delays and threats to the power grid.

The subsequent yellow warning covers all of Northern Ireland throughout tomorrow, and then the east of the Province on Thursday, right through to midnight that night.

The Met Office told the News Letter last night that, so far in October, “provisionally Northern Ireland has received 150mm of rain – this is above average and is 131% of normal” (114.4mm is the amount in an average October in the last 30 years).

Marco Petagna, a Met Office meteorologist, said: "We've had various warnings in force across the UK over the last few days and there are plenty more being issued for the next couple of days.

"The main focus in the next day or two is towards the east of Scotland and north-east England where there is a yellow rain warning until 3am.

"There will be persistent rain up there and then the focus for heavy showers will be across parts of southern and south eastern England and south Wales as well as parts of Northern Ireland with some heavy and sudden showers.

"There are possible gusts of 80 to 90 miles an hour in some exposed southern areas. It's probably quite a nasty storm this one."

Kate Marks, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: "We urge people to stay safe on the coast and to remember to take extreme care on coastal paths and promenades.

"Flooding of low-lying coastal roads is also possible and people must avoid driving through floodwater, as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car."