Relief as Shannon expected to stabilise over next five days

Athlone Town Council has said water levels on the River Shannon should stabilise in or around current levels over the next five days.

In a statement issued this afternoon, the council said: 'The level of the River Shannon in Athlone remains high but is stabilising.

'Fortunately for Athlone, the most intense rainfall over the last two days was in the southern half of the country, reducing the pressure on the upper Shannon.

'Taking the weather forecast into account, the Council is expecting river levels to stabilise in or around current levels over the next 5 days.'

However, the council said the situation would be kept under constant review and a further update would issue if the situation changed significantly.