Storm Desmond: Digger used to rescue elderly man from flooded house

Flooding at the Lifford bridge in Strabane, County Tyrone

A mechanical digger has been used to rescue an elderly man trapped by rising flood waters in his County Tyrone home.

It happened on Main Street in Clady, as Storm Desmond continued to cause disruption in some areas.

Sean McCarry of the Community Rescue Service said: "The water level had risen fairly fast and he was unable to get away from his home in time.

"We managed to get a mechanical digger down the street through the flood waters and get him out."

Mr McCarry said the rescue operation, launched at about 18:15 GMT on Saturday, was a team effort between themselves, Foyle Search and Rescue and the Environment Service.

He said that after the man's ordeal, "he was relieved and happy to get away safely".

The man did not require further medical treatment.

The roof of a building blown off by the storm in Larne

Water streamed down into the back garden of a house in Londonderry

Volunteers for the charity also managed to free a person who was trapped in their car near Strabane, County Tyrone.

Gerard Foley, who lives in Clady, said on Sunday that the village was badly affected by flooding.

"There are houses on the hill, and the rest is just water - Clady is a complete river," he said.

"You couldn't even pinpoint where the river is."

Flooding was reported on a number of roads in counties Armagh, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Londonderry.

On Sunday, the Gortnagarn Road, at Mountjoy near Omagh, is closed at the bridge due to flooding.

The swollen River Foyle floods neighbouring fields outside Strabane

Road users have being warned about the risk of surface water flooding, as well as the risk of fallen trees or branches and other debris.

In Larne, County Antrim, Dunluce Street was closed due to damage to a building and concerns for its stability.

In the Republic of Ireland, thousands of homes were left without electricity and flooding affected many areas, particularly along the west coast.

Flights into and out of Irish airports have been affected by the weather, with some cancelled and others diverted.