Wind and rain warning issued for Cork, Kerry, Limerick and nine other counties

The warning comes into effect at 2am on Sunday morning and will remain in place until 3pm on Sunday afternoon

Met Éireann is warning of 'difficult travel conditions', poor visibility and fallen trees and loose debris. File picture: Denis Minihane.

A status yellow wind and rain warning has been issued for Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and nine other counties for this weekend.

The warning comes into effect at 2am on Sunday morning and will remain in place until 3pm that afternoon.

During that time period, Met Éireann is warning of "difficult travel conditions", poor visibility and fallen trees and loose debris in counties Cork, Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Wexford, and Wicklow. There is also a risk of some localised flooding.

Elsewhere, counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo will be subject to a status yellow wind warning from 3pm on Sunday.

This warning, which will bring "very strong and gusty southwesterly winds", will be in place until midnight on Monday.

Possible impacts may include difficult travel conditions, and fallen trees and loose debris.

In terms of the weather outlook for the coming weekend, the forecaster says Friday will be windy, with rain turning occasionally heavy at times, leading to a risk of some spot flooding.

From Friday afternoon, brighter conditions with sunny spells and scattered showers will gradually extend from the west, with strong and gusty southerly winds easing southwesterly later. Highest temperatures will range from 10C to 13C.

Showers will become gradually confined to Atlantic coastal counties early on Friday night, where there will be a risk of some isolated thunderstorms and hail. Friday night will be quite cold, with the mercury falling back to about 3C to 7C.

Saturday is expected to be the fairest day of the weekend, with plenty of sunshine on offer and just a few passing showers predicted for the west and northwest.

That said, temperatures on Saturday will hover between 10C to 12C in light to moderate southwest winds.

Saturday night will begin largely dry, though cloud will thicken from the Atlantic and push eastwards across the country overnight. Winds will also increase, with gale force winds developing by the early hours of Sunday morning. Temperatures on Saturday night will range from 5C to 8C.

Met Éireann says Sunday will be wet and windy with widespread rain, leading to a possibility of yet more spot flooding in certain areas. Though rain will clear gradually eastwards into the afternoon, it will remain blustery, with scattered showers across the western half of the country. There is also a risk of isolated thunderstorms. 

Temperatures on Sunday will range from 11C to 14C amid strong to gale force southwest winds.

At this stage, Sunday night is expected to bring scattered showers, heaviest and most frequent in the west. Temperatures on Sunday night will fall back to about 4C to 7C, with winds easing overnight.

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