RAIN is expected to lash the island again today, but the National Meteorological Service says the showers will not be as severe as the downpour yesterday, which dumped thousands of gallons of water on the island, causing flooding in the Corporate Area and other sections of the island.

The heavy rains, which began Wednesday night and abated by mid-morning yesterday, but not before flooding sections of Marcus Garvey Drive and Spanish Town Road in Kingston. The Waterloo and Grants Pen gullies also overflowed their banks.

In Clarendon, Howard Avenue in May Pen was closed yesterday to allow the clearing of a blocked drain caused by the heavy flood waters.

The heavy downpour forced some schools to keep their doors closed yesterday.

In the meantime, the National Works Agency yesterday afternoon cleared roads in St Andrew that were affected by landslides from the rainfall. Affected areas included the Papine to Redlight District main road; Guava Ridge to Cooperage; Guava Ridge to Silver Hill Gap; and the Papine to Bull Bay main roads.