Met Éireann issues status orange warning for Cork and Kerry with 'significant rainfall' due

The orange alert will see 'significant rainfall accumulations, especially on high ground, with the highest totals expected in Kerry and West Cork'

The warning comes a day after Storm Bram swept across the country. Picture: Chani Anderson

Cork and Kerry will see significant rainfall on Sunday, with Met Éireann issuing a status orange warning for the two counties.

It is one of three rain warnings that have been issued across the weekend, with the country set for more bad weather just days after Storm Bram hit.

The orange rain alert for the two Munster counties will see "significant rainfall accumulations, especially on high ground, with the highest totals expected in Kerry and West Cork".

It will come into effect at 3am on Sunday and remain in place until 6pm.

The expected impacts include significant river and surface water flooding, hazardous travelling conditions, and poor visibility.

Meanwhile, a status yellow rain warning for Cork, Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Donegal, and all of Connacht will come into effect at 6pm on Saturday and remain in place until midnight on Monday.

The forecaster says "spells of heavy rain" are due and that the "flood risk is increased due to high river levels and saturated ground".

The likely impacts include river and surface water flooding, difficult travelling conditions, and poor visibility.

A second status yellow rain warning, with the same impacts, has been issued for Tipperary, Waterford, and Wexford. The warning will be in place from midnight on Sunday until 3am on Monday.

More generally, Saturday will see cloud "build from the west through the morning, bringing outbreaks of rain over the western half of the country at first".

"The rain will spread eastwards to all areas in the afternoon, turning heavier in the west and southwest later in the evening," Met Éireann said.

It will be "wet and blustery" on Saturday night "with widespread outbreaks of rain and drizzle".

"The rain will be heavy at times, particularly towards the morning in the southwest, west and northwest."

However, it will be mild, with the lowest temperatures falling to just 10C to 12C.   

It will remain wet and blustery across the country on Sunday with "widespread outbreaks of rain, turning heavy at times, especially in the south and west".

Met Éireann has warned that "with high river levels and saturated soils, river and surface water flooding are likely, particularly in the south and west".  

The rain will begin to clear on Sunday night "with clear spells and just isolated showers following from the west".

The forecaster has said there will be "drier and brighter conditions for the early days of next week" before further spells of wet and blustery weather set in from midweek onwards.

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