A Status Orange rain warning for three counties bringing “very heavy and persistent rain” has been the cause of the localised flooding.
Kerry and Cork have been under the warning since midnight, while Waterford’s warning came into effect from midday.
All three counties are seeing river and coastal flooding, dangerous travelling conditions and travel disruption until the warning expires at midnight.
Cork County Council teams, assisted by Cork Fire Brigade, were conducting emergency pumping operations in the west Cork town of Bantry which was hit by flooding at low tide.
There is growing concern at the prospect of further damaging flooding in the town on Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning when high tide occurs and rainfall on local mountains begins to hit streams and rivers.
Two streets were left flooded in Bantry town by lunchtime and up to a dozen premises were hit by flood waters.
Flood waters poured up drains as water pressure mounted because of the heavy deluge.
Several shops had placed sandbags across doorways in a desperate bid to protect their premises but flood waters breached the barriers as road drains were unable to handle the volume of water.
Bantry locals paid tribute to Cork Fire Brigade crews who used pumps to try to remove flood waters and protect properties.
Council crews and fire brigade units will remain deployed until the early hours of Sunday morning when high tide has passed.
Gardaí warned motorists to avoid the town centre with flooding on low lying parts of both Main Street and New Street.
In Kerry, the local authority has warned of flooding on a number of roads, including the Port Road, Killarney and the R571 at Lauragh.
It has also warned of flooding on N71 road about 5km from Kenmare towards Bantry.
Meanwhile, a further four counties in Munster and Connacht are under a Status Yellow warning since midnight last night, which will last 24 hours.
These are Clare, Limerick, Galway and Mayo, where localised flooding and difficult travel conditions are possible.
The warnings are as a result of a band of rain trailing over the country since last night, with the heaviest and most persistent rain forecast over the southwest and west of the country, particularly over counties Kerry and Cork.
Irish weather warning colours explained
There were fears that some areas could see up to 50mm of rainfall in less than 12 hours – with the prospect of culverts and drains being unable to cope with the downpours.
Met Éireann warned that the south west will see very heavy and persistent rain, with highest accumulations in mountainous areas of Kerry and west Cork.
Such was the heavy nature of the rainfall that there was a significant risk of river and coastal flooding as well as dangerous driving conditions.
Water Safety Ireland warned that people should stay away from rivers and streams, particularly in mountain areas, because of the risk of flash flooding given the torrential rainfall.
“Accumulations of 30-50 mm over 24h are likely in the counties under yellow warning, however rainfall amounts may be higher on windward slopes of the mountains in west Galway and west Mayo,” said Met Éireann.
“Parts of Cork, Kerry and Waterford will see totals of 50-70 mm over a 24h period, but similarly, higher accumulations can be expected in mountainous regions of west Kerry and west Cork,” the national forecaster has said.
Smaller rivers, especially those prone to flash flooding in urban and upland areas, may rise quickly on Saturday and into Sunday, they warned.
Rivers in the south and west, particularly in the mountainous areas of Kerry, West Cork and Limerick, as well as Galway and Mayo could be affected.
Given the volume of rainfall forecast throughout this weekend, levels will potentially rise in the headwaters of larger rivers including the Lee, Munster Blackwater and Bandon.
“It’s important to note that rivers are likely to continue to respond and rise over the weekend and into next week with further rain expected,” they added.
As well as this, “strong onshore winds may lead to wave overtopping in exposed coastal areas” throughout the day.
People in these seven counties are being asked to keep their phones charged in the event of an emergency, while ESB Networks has highlighted the dangers posed by fallen live wires and is advising the public and the emergency services to stay away from fallen cables and to report such cases immediately.
Met Éireann said the heavy and persistent rain will continue across the southwest and west this morning with some thundery falls leading to flooding.
The rain will gradually spread further east later this afternoon with particularly heavy falls also expected across south Leinster. Elsewhere it will be overcast with patchy rain with fresh and blustery southerly winds throughout. Highest temperatures today of 14 to 17 degrees.
Tonight will be cloudy with widespread rain, which will be heavy at times in the south. The rain will gradually become patchy later tonight, with lows of 8 to 12 degrees.
Following the expiration of the warnings, tomorrow will see sunny spells and a little scattered cloud generally, but a few isolated showers.
Highs of 14 to 17 degrees, dropping to one of the coldest nights in a while, at 5 to 10 degrees.
Monday will be very unsettled overall with showers becoming widespread and heavy at times from early on. The showers will continue right through the afternoon and evening with blustery winds too. Highest temperatures will be of 13 to 17 degrees.
It will be cloudy with scattered showers that night, which will be persistent and possibly heavy at times across the south of the country.
Lowest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees.
On Tuesday, there will be showers across most of the country again, turning heavy at times in the north.
It will be a very cloudy day overall with winds blustery at times too. The showers will die out later in the evening, but a few will linger across the north and it will remain cloudy with top temperatures of 14 to 17 degrees.
“Staying rather unsettled with scattered showers from early on. A band of rain will push down from the northwest during the afternoon and will be heavy at times too,” Met Éireann has said for Wednesday, with top temperatures of 15 degrees.
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