'Unseasonable' wind and rain due as Met Éireann issues warnings for majority of Ireland

Met Éireann says coastal flooding and wave over-topping are likely in certain areas, as are power outages and fallen trees

A status yellow wind warning, which affects all of the Munster counties, as well as Kilkenny, Carlow, Laois, Wexford, and Wicklow, will come into place from midnight on Thursday. File picture: Denis Minihane.

The majority of the country will be under a weather warning overnight with both wind and rain alerts being issued by Met Éireann. 

A status yellow rain warning has been issued Clare, Galway, Roscommon, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly and Westmeath from 10pm on Thursday until 4am on Friday.

The forecaster is warning of localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions.

Meanwhile, there will be "unseasonably strong" winds after Met Éireann issued a status yellow wind warning for all of the Munster counties, as well as Wexford, Wicklow, Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Kildare and Dublin.

The warning will come into place from midnight on Thursday and remain in place until 6am on Friday.

During this time, Met Éireann is warning of "unseasonably strong and gusty south to southwest winds veering west to northwest" in affected counties. It says these will also coincide with "very high tides".

The forecaster says coastal flooding and wave over-topping are likely in certain areas, as are power outages and fallen trees.

⚠️Status Yellow - Wind warning for Munster, Kilkenny, Carlow, Laois, Wexford, Wicklow⚠️

Unseasonably strong and gusty south to southwest winds veering west to northwest will coincide with very high tides.🌬️🌊

Valid: 00:00 to 06:00 Friday 23/08/2024https://t.co/t2JoveRUyC pic.twitter.com/Gg7TiyQ6Nw

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) August 22, 2024

Elsewhere, a separate status yellow marine gale warning from Carlingford Lough to Hook Head to Loop Head and on the Irish Sea South will be in place from 11pm on Thursday until 9am on Friday. 

Met Éireann says southwest or cyclonic variable winds in affected areas will reach "gale force 8 or 9 at times".

Sunny spells and showers 

More generally, Thursday will see sunny spells and scattered showers coming from the west for a time while "cloud and rain will return to the west and southwest this afternoon" before spreading elsewhere by evening. 

Highest temperatures on Thursday will range from 15C to 18C in mostly moderate west to southwest winds.

On Thursday night, there will be "fairly widespread rain early" with some heavy falls leading to spot flooding in places. 

It will also be "very windy for a time in parts of the south and east overnight", according to Met Éireann, with strong to gale force and gusty southerly winds developing.  Winds will be lighter in the northern half of the country. 

The forecast for Friday, at present, is a mix of sunny spells and showers. 

The showers will be concentrated mainly in the west at first, but they are likely to spread elsewhere by the afternoon. 

"Some of them will be heavy, with isolated thunderstorms and the chance of hail, especially in the west and north," Met Éireann says.

On Friday night, as showers and longer spells of rain set in, there will be an ongoing chance of isolated thunderstorms, particularly in the west and north. 

Looking to the weekend, Saturday will see some heavy showers but there will be "good dry spells" in the east and south while on Sunday, it will start showery but will become "drier and brighter later in the day".

WEATHER CENTRE

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