DUBLIN - Army units have been called after parts of the capital Dublin and surrounding counties were hit by severe flooding as a result of heavy rain, a police spokesman said.

The weather caused commuter chaos as bus and rail services were delayed and motorists tried to find detours to avoid blocked roads. Worst hit was the north and west of Dublin with the rivers Liffey, Tolka and Broadmeadow bursting their banks. 86.4 millimetres (about 3 in) of rain have fallen over the Dublin area since last Wednesday. Villages and towns in the surrounding counties of Meath and Kildare were also badly affected with some of them completely cut off. Schools were closed in some areas and army units helped with sand-bagging. The main routes to Northern Ireland from the city were also hit with police advising people not to travel unless their journey was absolutely necessary.

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