The man behind what is believed to be the only flood warning system of its kind in Ireland has urged any community group that wants his system to get in touch. Colin James, who designed the Midleton Early Warning System (MEWS) after Storm Babet devastated the East Cork town in 2023, says he is happy to share his designs for free. Businessman Mr James' system was inspired by the tsunami early warning network in his native New Zealand. That system tracks sea-level changes and provides real-time data as events unfold, while his tracks river levels and tidal variances. The data comes from 17 sensors monitoring river levels, which an artificial intelligence (AI) bot analyses in seconds to calculate flow rates.

Source: Irish Examiner April 05, 2026 15:17 UTC