A number of low-cost sensors are being deployed across Dublin to monitor rainfall, weather conditions and river levels.

Dublin City Council and the other Dublin Local Authorities, have partnered with the CONNECT Centre, a Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre at Trinity College Dublin, and INTEL to launch Smart Dublin.

The new sensors will communicate data wirelessly to Dublin City Council's operations team who will analyse water levels and take appropriate action. The sensors will use CONNECT's Internet of Things network – 'Pervasive Nation' – to provide city authorities with an early warning of potential flooding.

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Gerard O'Connell of Dublin City Council's Flood Advisory Office said: "This pilot project has the potential to revolutionise our rainfall and water level monitoring systems around the city, making the capital safer for its citizens and visitors.

"Flood damage to the city infrastructure ranges from €2m to €100m per annum currently, with an average of around €8m per annum. This figure is increasing due to sea level rises and more intense rainfall events."

Jamie Cudden, Smart City Programme Manager, Dublin City Council, said: "Dublin is emerging as a leading location for Smart City and Internet of Things (IoT) innovations. INTEL's 'Dublin Living Lab Programme' has already carried out some initial flood monitoring activity across the city which has led to the prototyping of a set of river and rainfall sensors.

"Projects like this demonstrate how low-cost environmental sensor networks can be scaled to generate useful and actionable flood data for communities living across the city."

(CD/JP)