People have been rescued from their homes in Newcastle, Co Down after a river burst its banks and left the town looking "like a disaster zone".A boat was used to help residents in Newcastle, a picturesque east coast town on the edge of the Mourne Mountains.
"Due to the heavy rainfall, the Shimna River has burst its banks in places and there are significant reports of flooding in the Newcastle area. It added: "Close monitoring of water levels is ongoing and will continue until the weather warnings have elapsed."Geoff Simmons, from South Down, took his children to creche this morning and had to take a 20-mile detour over the mountains in wild conditions to get home.Mr Simmons added: "The sea looks angry."
Nationalist SDLP Stormont representative Mr McGrath said up to 300 homes in the town had been affected and some streets were under three or four feet of water.