Spot flooding in Kerry as heavy rain sweeps across Ireland

The forecaster has warned of "heavy" bands of rain, which in turn may lead to "localised flooding" in parts of the country.

Large amounts of surface water and spot flooding has affected one Kerry town, after heavy rain spells caused havoc across Ireland.

A status yellow rain warning  came into effect at 2am this morning, but has since been lifted for 14 of the 32 counties.

The forecaster has warned of "heavy" bands of rain, which in turn may lead to "localised flooding" in parts of the country.

The warning remains in effect for Cavan, Monaghan, Connacht, Longford, Louth, Meath and Westmeath.

It warns that spells of heavy rain are in store, turning blustery at times on the south and east coasts.

Possible impacts of the weather include: 

• Localised flooding 
• Poor visibility 
• Difficult travelling conditions

The warning will remain in effect until 7pm on Friday evening for the named areas, while it will be in effect from midday until midnight for Donegal.

It will remain humid on Friday with highs of 15 to 20C.

As of 10am on Friday morning, close to 40mm of rain has been recorded at a weather station in Killarney, Co Kerry.

Heavy rainfall has caused spot flooding and large amounts of surface water in the Clieveragh area of Listowel, Co Kerry.

Kerry County Council has advised road-users to travel with caution, adding that the N21 road between Tralee and Castleisland is flooded towards Ballyegan.

Motorists are urged to maintain vigilance whilst the council work to manage the situation.

Alan O' Reilly of Carlow Weather says the heaviest of the rain has cleared from the southwest for now, making it's way towards the Northern half of the country, who are getting "lashed" from the heavy rainfall.

Spot flooding in Clieveragh, Listowel, Co Kerry

The latest forecast for the country reads: "Bands of rain, heavy at times, will spread across the country this morning, bringing the risk of localised flooding. By this afternoon the rain will begin to clear away from the south but isolated showers, possibly heavy and thundery at times, will linger."

"Easterly winds will be fresh and gusty then later change southwesterly as the rain clears."

The forecaster has also issued a blight advisory warning for farmers, with damp weather conditions offering suitable conditions for the spread of the disease.

Looking into the weekend, Met Éireann has promised little change, with persisting "heavy showers" throughout Saturday and Sunday.

Those heading out on Saturday night would not want to forget their umbrella, as a "wet and windy" evening is promised, with the possibility of thunderstorms in the south of the country.

Sunday looks set to bring much of the same, with a constant stream of showers expected across the country.

However, the forecaster has predicted that showers will gradually become isolated as the evening progresses, with dry spells developing in the East.

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