Storm Francis: Status orange warning issued for 12 counties including Cork and Kerry

Motorists make their way through flooded roads near Dunmanway in Co Cork following Storm Ellen last week. Picture: Damien Storan/PA Wire

Met Éireann has said that Storm Francis will likely lead to some destruction and possible structural damage as it sweeps across Ireland, hitting Cork, Kerry and 10 other counties.

The storm is due to make landfall here on Monday night and a number of warnings have been issued.

Gusts of up to 110km/h are expected in some parts as well as rainfall accumulations of up to 60mm.

Met Éireann has issued a status orange rainfall warning for Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Wexford, Cork, Kerry and Waterford.

The warning comes into effect at 9pm this evening and is in place until 5pm on Tuesday.

Cork County Council said it has response crews and contractors on standby for the approaching storm.

Council crews have also been removing debris from grates and culverts and additional precautions remain in place at Rossa Road, Skibbereen due to works in progress, while crews also remain on standby in other areas affected by flood events.

Cork County Council expects the impact to include fallen trees and flash flooding, particularly given current ground saturation levels, as well as possible structural damage from high winds.

Met Éireann warned: “Intense rainfall associated with Storm Francis is expected at times Monday night and Tuesday, leading to accumulations of 40 to 60mm (higher values in mountainous areas).

Status Orange Rainfall warning has been issued for Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Wexford, Cork, Kerry and Waterford-
Valid: 21:00 Monday 24/08/2020 to 17:00 Tuesday 25/08/2020
Status Yellow Rainfall and Wind warnings have also been issued https://t.co/ozrQHtoOkt pic.twitter.com/4fXLMVZjzB

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) August 24, 2020

“The most intense rainfall is expected to ease off in southern counties during Tuesday morning. Some flash flooding likely.

“This rainfall will further elevate river levels and may result in river flooding also.” 

A status yellow rainfall has been issued for Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Wicklow, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.

That warning comes into effect at 9pm this evening and will be in place for 24 hours.

Met Éireann said that there will be rainfall accumulations “of 30 to 50mm with surface flooding.

“This rainfall will further elevate river levels and may result in river flooding also.” 

Meanwhile, a status yellow wind warning has been issued for all of Munster, Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow The warning is in place from 6am tomorrow until 7pm.

Met Éireann said: “Very windy or stormy conditions are expected on Tuesday as Storm Francis crosses Ireland.

“Southwest winds veering westerly, reaching mean speeds of 55 to 65km/h, will bring widespread severe gusts of 90 to 110km/h (and possibly higher in exposed areas).

“Some disruption is likely and possibly structural damage.” 

A man gets hit by a wave crashing on the Front Strand in Youghal, Co Cork last week. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Met Éireann's Elizabeth Coleman said: “The UK Met Office has just named Storm Francis which is going to track across the county later this evening, overnight tonight and through the day tomorrow morning."


She said the “most intense of the rain is expected along southern coastal counties and then also for Connacht and Ulster”.

Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather says the worst of the conditions will be tomorrow afternoon.

“The problem really is it’s going to be during daylight hours and peaking around lunchtime in some areas tomorrow,” he said.

“So that’s going to have some very strong winds with what we saw from Storm Ellen, fallen trees are possible.

“It’s not quite to the level we saw from Storm Ellen but it is at a level that at this time of the year when trees are in full leaf that you would expect power outages and some disruption.”

With the warnings in place, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is calling on road users to “exercise caution”.

A statement said: “Drivers are being warned that on top of recent heavy rainfall and severe winds this has the potential to make road conditions even more hazardous so please exercise caution when using the roads over the next 24 hours.

“Road users in areas affected by the orange warnings for heavy rain are advised to check local traffic and weather conditions before setting out on a journey.” 


Dursey Cable Car will remain closed tomorrow  and will return to operation only when wind speeds permit.

Waves crash over Ireland's Eye at Howth, in the wake of Storm Ellen last Thursday. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

The RSA is calling on motorists “to slow down and leave a bigger space between themselves and the vehicle in front in wet weather conditions”.

The also warned:

• If the road ahead is flooded choose another route, do not attempt to drive through it. Flooded roads that appear shallow could be deeper than you think. They may also have trees or branches that have fallen that may not be visible.
• Road users should always follow recommended routes and obey signs closing roads to traffic.
• After going through water, drive slowly with your foot on the brake pedal for a short distance - this helps to dry the brakes.
• Drive with dipped headlights at all times.
• Control of a vehicle may be affected by strong cross winds. High sided vehicles and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to strong winds.
• Beware of objects being blown onto the road. Expect road conditions to change quickly in high winds so reduce your speed.
• Watch out for falling/fallen debris on the road and vehicles veering across the road.
• Drivers should allow extra space between themselves and vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and motorcyclists as they may be blown off course by strong winds.

For pedestrians, cyclist and motorcyclists, the RSA is warning:

• Visibility and light is reduced in poor weather conditions. Keep safe by making sure you can be seen. Wear bright clothing with reflective armbands or a reflective belt.
• Take extra care when crossing the road or cycling in extremely windy conditions as a sudden gust of wind could blow you into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
• Walk on a footpath, where possible and not in the street. If there is a footpath and it is safe to use, look out for falling debris from above, especially in urban areas.
• Walk on the right-hand side of the road, facing traffic if there are no footpaths.
• Cyclist should ensure that they and their bike are visible to other road users by investing in a good set of front and rear lights (white at the front, red at the back) and by wearing clothes that help you be seen on your bike such as bright and light reflective items.

The new storm comes less than a week after Storm Ellen left more than 140,000 homes and businesses without power.

Storm Ellen hit the country on Wednesday night, with gusts of up to 143 kilometres per hour recorded at Roches Point in Cork.

The worst affected counties for outages are Cork, Tipperary, Westmeath and parts of Galway.