The Met Office has maintained their amber warning today after flash floods are predicted to wreak further havoc across Northern Ireland.

Main routes around Belfast and Country Antrim were left completely impassable after Met Eireann reported that 50mm of rain fell between 8pm and 3am last night.

Around 1,000 homes were left without electricity, and fire crews reported receiving 700 calls for help as people were left incapacitated by the heavy downpour.Many motorists abandoned their submerged cars, and a police spokesman stated that they should only consider travelling if absolutely necessary.

"Motorists who have abandoned cars are asked not to return to their vehicles, for their own safety, at present."

Northern Ireland Water, the sole provider of water and sewage services in Northern Ireland, reported that its call centre had received 2,800 calls about localised flooding. A statement on their website reads:

"Out-of-sewer flooding occurs when heavy rainfall overwhelms the sewage system and floodwater emerges from the sewer manholes. Every effort has made to alleviate the flooding in the affected areas as quickly as possible and assist with the clean-up operation."

Conal McDevitt, SDP MLA for South Belfast, described the floods as a "scene of devastation". He criticised the response from Northern Ireland Water and the Roads Service saying, "The response was totally inadequate, the call handling facility collapsed."

The floods occurred on the same day that the Queen made a historic trip to Northern Ireland to meet, and shake hands with, former IRA leader Martin McGuiness. Met Eireann has forecasted heavy rain, hail and thunderstorms tonight that will lead to further flooding.