A thunderstorm has cut off power and telephone services to around eight hundred houses in Galway City and has also caused flooding.
The flooding is the worst the city has experienced in several years. After a day of torrential rain, streets in several low-lying areas are awash in more 12 inches of after.
Pubs and restaurants in Quay St have had to close as locals lost the battle to keep the flood water out.
Tourists in Galway for the city big Arts Festival were among those having to flee from the deluge. The damage is already being estimated at hundreds of thousands of euro.
One of the biggest concerns tonight is the amount of sewage which been washed onto the streets out of underground sewers. The city has also been hit by a series of power cuts.
ESB crews say 800 houses were affected but they hope to be able to restore power to all of them later tonight.
The emergency services say the clean up operation will take several more hours and is likely to continue tomorrow. The flooding has closed the Galway-Oranmore dual carriageway.
